HellFall
by SquigglyCrunch
Summary: The story of eight huntsmen and huntresses of Remnant and their teams as they try to stop an upcoming threat in the Kingdom of Atlas, and maybe even the whole world. May contain some nudity, mild sexual content, some language, alcohol consumption and violence (including blood and gore). - ON HIATUS, RETURNING APRIL? -
1. Crimson I Chapter 1

***Please note that this story is set up more as a collection of short stories. The color title above will tell what character the chapter will be taken from the perspective of, and the roman numero is the section of the story (example: Crimson I, first part of crimson character's story). Some colors will be skipped (example: Grey I will not exist, as the grey character doesn't have a first part in the story. However, there will be a Grey II, as the grey character does have a part in the second story).***

**This may seem confusing at first but it really isn't that bad once you get used to it.**

* * *

Approaching the Queen's Hill Hotel I looked up at the illuminated sign, the light emphasizing the letters placed onto it. It read:

'The Queen's Hill Hotel

Have your next affair here"

That certainly was the reason why I was here. I had been hired by a certain Miss Strom. She was married, but her husband was here, likely cheating on him as I thought this. Miss Strom went by Miss now instead of Missus, even though she wasn't yet divorced.

However, instead of getting divorced she had hired me to assassinate the man for her. _She must really hate him to do that_, I thought. I didn't think much of it. I was a mercenary. I did what I was told if there was enough money involved.

I stopped at the front door to the hotel, then walked in. The clerk looked up as the front door bell rang.

"Checking in?" He asked. His voice was clear, and a white stringy beard dropped off his chin. He wore small reading glasses. Sure enough, a book was laid before him on the desk.

"No, actually," I started, "I'm looking to visit Mr. Fillios. I was wondering which room he was staying in tonight"

The clerk stared at me for a long moment, "Awful late for a visit, don't you think?"

"I'm sorry if it's an inconvenience," I replied, "but it's quite urgent"

"Could you tell me why exactly, then?" The clerk asked.

"He's the president of a Faunus rights group. I just received urgent news." When he gave me a look of wanting me to go on, I added, "_Private_ news"

The clerk disappeared below the desk, "Alright then" He replied, returning to the desk with a medium-sized book. He opened it up and began looking through it. "Fillios," He muttered, "F, Fillios, Fillios, Fillios. Ah! Fillios" He looked up, "Room 4C" He said.

"Thank you" I said, starting towards the stairs.

"No worries." The clerk said, "Oh, and good luck to you with the Faunus rights!" He called as I reached the stairs.

"Thank you." I replied, "We'll need all the luck that we can get"

I climbed up to the fourth floor of the hotel, and then found room C. I leaned against the wall next to it, listening for sounds of life. I had learned the hard way not to lean on doors when eavesdropping on one's prey.

Something stirred inside, then I heard a voice. Faint, but there. _I know that someone's in there_, I thought, shifting my focus to the sound of wind. Once again I heard it, faint but there. _Good, _I thought, _they have a window. This is too easy_.

To avoid suspicion from the clerk downstairs I wandered around for at least twenty more minutes, every once in a while checking for life in room 4C. Overall it was a really nice hotel. _Maybe I should stay here one of these days_, I thought to myself. _Nah, probably won't be welcome when I'm done_.

After waiting long enough I went downstairs, seeing the clerk reading his book still. He looked up, "How's it go?" He asked.

"Better than expected" I replied, not stopping and instead heading straight for the door.

"I'm curious," the clerk started, "are you a Faunus? I'm not seeing any ears or tail, so I'm just curious"

I stared at him, "I'm just a simple man with a vision of equality" I replied, opening the door and leaving. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, I realized that I wouldn't want to live in the Queen's Hill Hotel. The air tasted too fake. Fresh and fake air doesn't taste good mixed together.

Walking around the back of the hotel, I looked for the fourth floor, third room (C is the third letter of the alphabet). I quickly found it and saw the window, the wind blowing the curtains into the room. The noises they made from inside were easier to hear from outside, as they were carried along the wind.

Walking back a bit, I charged forward, leaping onto the building and climbing up to the fourth floor, third room. Peeking into the window, I saw the woman's naked rear end disappear behind a door, likely going to the bathroom. _Nice butt, I must say_, I thought, shifting my gaze to the bed, where I saw the man under his covers. He seemed to be asleep by his breathing.

Climbing through the window, I drew my knife. I stood over the man, not making a sound. Just then his eyes flicked open. He gasped, and I swung. I knew enough about my job to know the second that your prey notices you, you have to kill them, because next comes the scream, then the panicked scream, which is really hard to work in. Lastly comes the running, which makes them much more difficult to hit. Plus I'm not great at throwing knives.

Blood soaked up into the blanket, and I wiped my knife off on it. A little extra blood won't make a difference. Sheathing my knife, I turned towards the window and hopped on the sill. I heard the bathroom door open and turned. There stood the woman, as naked as before. She stared at me for a moment, gasped, and I leapt out of the window. She didn't need to die. She screamed, and I ran.

A moment later however, I felt her land on the ground behind me.

"Get back here!" She screamed.

I skidded to a halt and turned around. She held a long sword in her hand.

"I'm a huntress in training." She said, stepping closer, "I'm warning you"

She was clothed now at least.

I sighed, "Aren't you a little young for a guy like that then? Or are middle-aged married men your thing?"

"Shut up!" She yelled, "He loved me!"

"Mid-life crisis is what I called it" I replied, not making any move to grab my own weapon.

"That's it," she decided, "I'm going to kill you now!" She charged.

In one swift movement I reached back to my sideways sheath, hanging from the back of my belt. I grabbed the gold ball at the end of my sword's handle and tore it out from its sheath. Bringing it up quickly, I deflected her blow.

"A huntress in training, eh?" I asked, "Well you're in the presence of a real huntsman." I held my blade in both hands, taking up a battle stance, "And I really don't want to kill you"

She gazed at my blade for a long while. At the bottom of its handle was a ball for me to hold onto to get better angles on swinging it. The hilt was quite large, with what looked like a face on it. An X just above the handle, and two O's on either side just below the blade. The blade itself was thick and long. It could retract at the halfway point of the blade so that it fit in my sheath, and could extend at the same place. There were four holes in the blade, shaped like parallelograms. There were two holes on either side of the blade, going straight through it. I had named it the Arkynshihn.

"You disgrace!" The woman yelled, charging at me. I ducked, avoiding her blow, then sliced her in half. The two halves of her body fell to the ground, bleeding out and soaking into the dry dirt. I wiped my blade off on her shirt, then look back at the hotel. The clerk was staring at me through the glass windows on the door. Looking down at the woman, I noticed two short horns poking out of her skull though her hair.

She was a Faunus


	2. Crimson I Chapter 2

I drove up to my hotel on my dark red moped. Locking it up at the front of the building I headed inside. The clerk at the desk looked up from his book. That movement reminded me of my last encounter with a hotel clerk, at the Queen's Hill. Only this clerk was much younger and completely bald.

"Checking in a little late, wouldn't you say?" The clerk asked.

"Had some important business to attend to." I replied, "But I think that I'll be leaving sometime tonight or tomorrow morning"

"So soon?" The clerk asked, "Well, it was nice having you"

"Thanks." I replied, "It's a nice hotel by the way"

"Oh thanks." The clerk replied, "But it's not mine"

"Either way," I said, heading towards the stairs, "it's a nice hotel"

Reaching the stairs I started up, reaching my own room, 7G. Entering I pulled off my long, heavy brown jacket and hung it up.

"It's about time" Harrison called from within the room.

"Shut up," I retorted, walking into the central area of the hotel room, "it's not like you came"

"Yeah, because you left without telling me" Harrison replied.

I sat down on my couch, sighing, "That's because you don't like what I do" I said.

"Yeah," said Harrison, "because what you're doing is wrong"

"It pays the bills" I pointed out.

"How many did you kill this time?" Harrison asked, changing the subject slightly.

"Two" I replied, getting up to go to the refrigerator.

"Must be a new record" Harrison said.

"Shut up," I said, pulling a bottle of beer out of the fridge and shutting the door, "I killed the person I was supposed to"

"Hmm," Harrison muttered, "What was it this time?"

"Huntress in training." I replied, "She was a pretty little thing, but she initiated the attack"

Harrison snickered, "Yeah, after you killed her lover" He added.

"Whatever," I replied, "what's done is done." I popped open the bottle and took a drink. Swallowing I said, "Oh, and we're leaving as soon as possible"

"What did you do this time?" Harrison asked.

"I told the hotel clerk that I was with a Faunus rights movement." I replied, "The woman I killed turned out to be a Faunus"

"So?" Harrison asked.

"The clerk saw me out the window" I added.

Harrison sighed, "Come on," he complained, "why can't we settle in just one place for a little while?"

I took a large swig of beer. Swallowing, I said, "Because people don't appreciate us"

"Pff!" Harrison spat, "_Us_? You mean you. You're the one who's always killing and what-not. Its one-hundred percent your fault"

"Whatever" I replied, finishing off my beer.

"Do you think that this slip-up will cause another problem like the girl from Vale with the pocket watch?" He asked.

"Nah," I replied, setting the empty bottle into the sink. "That was too big to repeat itself"

"Humph." Harrison said, "Still, we should be careful"

"We?" I asked, "What happened to just me?"

"Well I do help you with jobs here and there" Harrison pointed out.

I snickered, "You sit on my shoulder and startle people. Once they're over the surprise you can't do much" I replied.

"Usually that distraction is enough to allow you to kill them right away" He pointed out.

"True" I replied, standing up and heading to my room. "We're leaving bright and early tomorrow, so get your bags ready"

"Gazini," Harrison started. I turned around. "Take a good look at me. What am I?"

"You're an abnormally small fox, Harrison." I replied, "Anyone with eyes could see that"

"Right," Harrison said, "so how am I going to pack up anything? I can't even lift my basket and cushions"

"Just go to bed, okay?" I told him, settling on a new command, "I'm tired, and we're leaving as soon as there's light"

"Alright." Harrison said, curling up in his basket of cushions which he used as a bed. "Oh, and Gazini?" He started again, "Am I really abnormally small?"

I smiled, "We've been over this." I replied, "Your smaller than a human baby, and supposedly full-grown"

And he was.


	3. Crimson I Chapter 3

The next morning I awoke to gentle pawing at my face.

"Hey" Harrison said, rubbing his paws across my face.

I reached up, swiping him off my face, mumbling as I did.

"Watch where you're swinging that thing!" He called, climbing back onto my face.

"Hey," He repeated, "hey! Wake up sleepyhead" He pawed at my face. His paws were very soft, only making it harder to wake up.

Finally I sat up, Harrison falling down onto my lap. "Whoa!" He called as he fell.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Early" Harrison replied.

"That's not helpful"

"Well I'm awake, and I can't sleep"

"So?"

"So move over, I'm moving in"

I yawned, "Are you packed yet?" I asked.

Harrison gave me a look, "Look at me" He said.

"I am" I replied.

"What am I?" He asked.

"An abnormally small fox." I replied, "We went over this last night"

"Just wanted to make sure that you hadn't forgotten" He said.

"Well anyways," I said, "now that we're awake, let's go" I got up out of my bed, throwing Harrison off the bed in the process.

"Aw come on," He complained, "I'm still tired"

"Now I'm awake," I said, pulling off my shirt and going to my suitcase. "I probably won't fall back asleep so let's just go"

Harrison sighed, "Fine" He replied, leaving the room.

I pulled my brown button up shirt and yellow undershirt out from my suitcase, slipping them on over my bare body. I buttoned up my brown shirt up to just past my chest, so that my yellow shirt showed underneath. I pulled off my pants and put on a new pair, which was hanging off my bed.

I packed up my suitcase and brought it out from my bedroom. I saw Harrison pulling his basket of cushions across the room towards the door. I leaned down, picked it up, and put it into my shoulder bag, which I had specifically to hold Harrison's bed.

"Thanks" He said, catching his breath.

I stared down at him, "You really are a weakling" I said.

"Shut up," Harrison said, "I wasn't like this at Beacon, remember?"

"Yeah," I said, "well that was years ago. Now you're scrawny and weak"

"Why the insults?" Harrison asked.

"They aren't insults if they're true" I replied.

"Yes they are" He retorted.

I didn't reply, instead I went back to my bedroom and grabbed my belt, which contained my knife and Arkynshihn as well as held up my pants.

Slipping it on I went back to the front door, where Harrison was waiting under my coat hanging on the coatrack.

I pulled my coat off the rack and slipped my arms into it. I picked up my shoulder bag, put it over my shoulder, and picked up my suitcase.

Harrison leapt onto my shoulder and we headed out.

"Have a good day" The clerk said. He was a different one than the one last night, which was to be expected.

"Thank you," I replied, "you too"

We headed out of the hotel and I found my moped. Attaching my suitcase to the back and securing my shoulder bag, I got onto the moped and started it up. Harrison held onto the small handles I had created on the shoulder of my coat for occasions like riding the moped. Before we started moving I reached into the small compartment between the handles of the moped and pulled out a pair of sunglasses. The sunglasses were made of a very powerful glass. According to the guy I had bought them from they could withstand a bullet, but only one. So far I haven't needed to use that freebee.

We started out, riding for several hours before stopping for food.

"Where would be the safest for us to go?" Harrison asked me over his small can of food.

I lifted my sunglasses, looking all around us, "We keep going in the same direction," I replied, "nothing has changed enough to put us in any danger"

We got back up on the moped and continued driving, searching for the next place that we'd stay.

We stopped around nighttime at a tavern in a small town.

"This should be far enough" I told Harrison, parking and locking the moped at the front of the tavern and heading inside.

The building was pretty busy, with several groups of people sitting around tables with pints of alcoholic beverages in their hands. Some cast me suspicious glances, but generally I tried to ignore making eye-contact. Most were to drunk or 'deep' in conversation to notice me.

I reached the counter and asked for a room.

"How long ye be stayin' mister?" The bartender asked.

"As long as I need to" I replied in proper English.

"Whaddya mean?" The bartender asked.

"It means I have business to attend to here." I replied, "Secret business"

"I ain't wanna be part of any big ol' scheme ye plannin' mate"

"It doesn't concern you, nor your tavern. I assure the safety of them both"

The bartender eyed me suspiciously, then shrugged, "Wait here" He said, disappearing into a back room. Reappearing, he presented me with a key.

"Room 1," He said, "up ye stairs, first room on ye right"

"Thank you," I replied, "and how much is it for a drink?"

"S'bout two ta four liens. Ya interested?" He asked.

"Thinking I'll come down for a few once I get settled in, yes" I replied.

"I'll see ya in a bit then" The bartender said, going back to work.

I headed up the stairs at the end of the tavern. Room 1 was the first one that I saw. _Probably doesn't have a lot of business, if he's giving me his first room_, I thought,_ or maybe I'm just overthinking this_.

The room wasn't in bad shape. It had two rooms: A bedroom/living room and a bathroom. The couch folded out into a bed, and there was a television hooked up to the wall opposite of it. In the bathroom there was a sink, toilet, and bathtub. There wasn't a kitchen or even a stove, but there was a microwave next to the couch.

I set my suitcase, shoulder bag and belt down on the ground and went to a mirror leaning in a corner by the door.

"Get your basket out" I told Harrison, looking at myself in the mirror. I took off my heavy brown jacket and set it down on my suitcase. I adjusted my crimson hair so that my bangs didn't only cover my left eye (like an emover hairstyle). Taking off my sunglasses, I stared at my eyes. My right one was dark blue, and my left one, which I covered with my hair, was white. A pupil and iris could still be made out, but they were just slightly shaded versions of white. I reached up and stroked my chin, where a small blonde goatee had begun to grow. _I'm going to have to shave that later_, I thought.

I reached up and pulled my hair back into place, over my left eye.

"Still self-conscious about that, eh?" Harrison asked.

"It's not normal," I replied, "of course I am"

"Gazini, it's not a big deal. Seriously," Harrison said, "it's what makes you unique. Plus it's intimidating"

"It's a product of science." I retorted, "And a constant reminder of what happened to you"

"Oh please," Harrison sighed, "that was my choice. And am I not a good enough reminder of what happened to me?"

I didn't reply.

"You really shouldn't cover it up like that." Harrison continued, "It takes away your advantage"

"We had a fair chance," I said, "and so that's what I give others"

Harrison sighed. "Alright" He replied.

"I'm going to go get a drink" I said, adjusting my brown shirt a little.

"Don't get too drunk!" Harrison called as I closed the door.

And I didn't.


	4. Crimson I Chapter 4

The next morning I awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside. Opening my eyes sunlight hit them, forcing me to close them again. My face was warm, but the light penetrated my eyelids, making it difficult to fall back asleep.

"Wake up" Harrison said, nudging my cheek.

I pushed him away, rolling over in my bed. My face became cold, and I opened my eyes again, sighing. I sat up in my bed and looked over at Harrison struggling back onto my bed.

"What'd you do that for?" He asked.

"I was trying to sleep," I said, "but now I'm awake"

"How much did you drink last night?" Harrison asked.

"Enough to give me a minor hangover." I replied, rubbing my head, "Whatever. It's not that bad"

I got up out of bed, still fully clothed from last night. _Oops_, I thought, looking down at myself.

I went downstairs to the tavern and ordered a breakfast sandwich and a glass of milk.

"Ye had a good time last night?" The bartender asked.

"I think so" I replied.

The bartender laughed a croaky, deep laugh, "Ye think?" He asked.

"What did I do?" I asked, "I can't really remember"

The bartender smiled, "Ye may not wanna remember" He replied.

I sighed, finishing my sandwich, "Alright" I said, gulping down the last of my milk and standing up to leave.

I dropped a few lien on the counter, "Thanks for the meal and the room" I said, leaving the tavern.

As I left the tavern I heard small paws scurrying behind me. I turned around to see Harrison charging towards me, his small legs carrying him as fast as they could, which wasn't very fast.

"You aren't leaving me behind this time!" He called, hopping onto my shoulder and catching his breath.

I sighed, "Alright" I replied, finding my moped and driving around what was now revealed in the daylight to be a small town.

I pulled off my sunglasses, looking around for someone who would give me a job.

"What about him?" Harrison asked me, pointing his nose towards a man with a shaggy, dishevelled face.

I looked at him, seeing myself asking him if he wanted anyone dead. "Nah," I replied to Harrison, "the dude's just a dead beet. All he wants is money and food" I stopped in front of him. He eyed me strangely.

"You need anything?" I asked him, knowing the answer already.

"Just some spare change, if you have any" He replied.

I reached into my pocket, pulling out twenty-five lien, "Is this enough?"

He took it, a smile reaching his lips, "Thank you so very much, kind sir" The man said, stuffing the money into his pocket and running towards the tavern that I'd been staying in.

_Must be a center for food or something_ I thought, starting to move again.

"So you still do good things here and there, do you?" Harrison asked.

"I got money to spare," I replied, "he doesn't"

We biked around for about an hour before I ran into someone with some anger welling up inside of them.

"Excuse me ma'am," I started. She turned to me, her face red with anger.

"What do you want?" She asked.

"I'm curious as to why you're angry" I asked, once again knowing the answer. Her fiancé had been murdered by a thief in an alleyway. Sure enough, that's exactly what she said.

"I could take care of that for you," I told her, "for a price"

"What kind of price are we talking about here?" She asked.

"Quite a bit," I replied, "meet me behind this shop here in an hour if you're interested" I gestured to the building next to us with a flick of my head.

"I don't need an hour," She replied, "I'll meet you back there now"

"I like to give my clients some time to think, so take the hour" I told her, noting the name and location of the shop and driving off.

"Think she's going to take it?" Harrison asked me.

I paused, "She is," I replied, "I know. She'll probably regret it afterwards, but that's all that I know"

"Then why did you ask her about it?" Harrison asked me.

"The future can be changed," I replied, "either she's going to refuse through some change in events, or she's going to go with it and deal with her own regret. It's not my job to deal with the aftermath of my actions, only the job itself"

Harrison didn't say anything after that.

An hour later I arrived behind the building. Sure enough, the woman was there too.

"So?" I asked.

"Give me more details," she replied, "I want to know those before I say yes"

"Alright," I replied, "well, obviously I'd kill the man. I'd need to know where he found and killed your fiancé, and also your price range."

The woman paused, "Well," she started, "um"

"Remember that this man's blood will be on your hands." I said, "Can you live with that?"

She sucked in a deep breath through her nose, "Yes," She decided, "yes alright. Um," She looked around, "Well the thief found my fiancé in an alleyway on the other side of town, between Jim's Pizzeria and The Popper's Emporium of Assorted Salts"

"Prices?" I asked.

"Right." The woman said, "How much are you asking for?"

"Well," I started, "without the location of the man, that's a little extra. I'd say…" I paused to think, "…about five to seven thousand lien would do the trick"

"A little on the expensive side, wouldn't you say?" The woman asked.

"I'm killing people," I said, "trust me it doesn't feel good. I need some compensation"

"Fine," The woman said, "so is five thousand the lowest you'll go?"

"I'm not sure if I'm okay with that low. Maybe six thousand five hundred?"

"Six thousand?" The woman bargained, "Does that sound fair?"

I paused, then nodded, "Sure," I replied, "I'll go with that" I knew that if I kept persisting that the price would only go down.

"I'll get that do you when the deed is done" The woman told me.

"I'm sorry ma'am," I started, "but I try to minimize the amount of contact that I have with my clients, so I'm afraid that you will have to pay me upfront"

She stared at me suspiciously, "I'll be sure to tell you when the deed is done. I'll even show you the body if you want afterwards" I added.

The woman sighed, then opened up her purse and wrote up a cheque of six thousand lien for me. She handed it to me, "There," she said, "make sure you are thorough with this, and don't even think about cheating me"

I took the cheque and slid it into my jacket pocket, "I'm staying up at The New Mug tavern," I said, "You can find me in room 1. Don't worry; I won't be leaving any time soon"

"You'd better not" The woman said.

I'd be here a while, I knew that for sure.


	5. Crimson I Chapter 5

I found Jim's Pizzeria and The Popper's Emporium of Assorted Salts right next to it. The alley between them was like any other alley, garbage littering the ground, a dumpster leaning against a wall, and a long shadow cast over the ground.

Harrison sniffed the air, "I smell blood," He said.

"How recent?" I asked.

"About a day or so." He replied, sniffing again. "It'd probably be pretty easy to track"

"I should bring you along more often" I said, looking around the alley.

"That's what you always say," Harrison said, "then you ditch me on the next mission"

I didn't reply.

"Anyways," Harrison started, "one guy's scent stays here, so he's likely the fiancé and the other one goes deeper in"

We headed deeper into the alley, coming out on the other side.

"Turn left" Harrison said. We turned left, driving behind Jim's Pizzeria. We drove around for a while, Harrison directing me along. We got looks from several people. Apparently it wasn't normal for a man to ride a moped with a baby fox on his shoulder.

The scent grew stronger, according to Harrison, until it was only a few hours old.

"What's up with this part of town?" Harrison asked, looking around for the first time since we started following the scent.

"Looks kinda shady, eh?" I asked, looking around a bit more thoroughly as well. It looked like it was a town out of a horror movie. The buildings were ramshackle and poorly built. Windows were broken, signs hung above the doors waved eerily in the wind. The people were saggy-faced and covered in patches of facial hair, as if their shavers had stopped working while they shaved their faces at random. There were a lot of bald people, but even more with very long, unkempt hair. The few trees scattered around were short and dead, their branches keeling over, succumbing to the force of gravity and lack of health. In the distance an owl hooted.

"This is cliché," Harrison said, continuing to sniff and lead me.

"Too cliché" I whispered.

"So cliché that it's not even scary," Harrison added, "it's just boring"

"Aye" I said, turning down an alley. The alleys were the same as the ones in the nicer part of town, only with more garbage. The moped made its way through, but with some difficulty.

"We're almost there," Harrison said, "it smells very strongly here"

Through another street, around a building, and down an alleyway, the scent stopped.

Harrison's nose went to the dumpster. He sniffed curiously, "I still smell the thief's smell. It's vague among the garbage, buts it's there"

I got off the moped, looking behind the dumpster, then pushing it aside. There was no secret entrance behind it, or under it.

"What are you looking for?" Harrison asked as I pushed it back into its original place.

"This is a cliché part of town," I replied, "I wouldn't be surprised if there was a cliché entrance to a cliché secret base or something"

Harrison smiled, "I don't think so" He replied, jumping back to my moped and sitting on the seat.

I opened the dumpster and peered in. Nothing but trash, of course. But it was strange; the trash wasn't wet or dirty. The inside walls of the dumpster actually looked quite well cleaned. Digging through the trash to the bottom, it was quite clean too. The trash itself was just crumpled up paper and cardboard boxes.

"What is it?" Harrison asked me.

I hoisted myself up onto the dumpster, "This thing is suspicious," I said, "I'm going in" I dropped inside. It was as deep as any old dumpster. Searching through the clean garbage I searched for any sign of oddity.

I sighed, finding nothing resting my hand against the wall as I started to stand. I felt some scratches, which I almost ignored. It wasn't odd for a dumpster to be scratched, but not by one like this. I ducked down.

"Gazini?" Harrison asked me, leaping up onto the top of the dumpster wall. "What's going on?"

I traced my fingers over the scratches, and then stared hard at it. "Eleven o'clock," I said, reading the scratches, "two o'clock" Harrison stared down from his perch at me. Bringing up my wrist, I pulled my sleeve down my arm, revealing my watch. It was five minutes to two o'clock.

"Harrison," I said, "get in, and bring the moped"

Harrison sighed, "Look at me" He said, repeating the events of a few nights ago.

"Never mind." I said, standing to get the moped. The alley was empty, other than the trash. "Where'd it go?" I asked, looking back and forth. Where else could it have gone?

"It's a shady part of town," Harrison said, "Maybe some shady person stole it"

"I know," I started, "but how? Without us noticing?"

"Shadily without us knowing" Harrison replied.

"Alright," I said, "whatever, just get inside. Two o'clock is coming up, and I want to see what happens" I wasn't focused on what was happening, I was wondering what had happened to my moped, and whether or not I'd get it back.

I shut the dumpster door.

"It's pretty cozy in here" Harrison said, sitting in the trash and making himself comfortable. I checked my watch. It was two o'clock. A few minutes went by, and I heard a noise, just outside the dumpster. As I stood to peek out the dumpster was lifted. My head slammed against the top and I fell back into the trash, hitting my rear on the metal floor where I'd cleared out the garbage. I grabbed Harrison and braced us.

We fell out from the dumpster into more similar trash: boxes and paper. I was stuck under all the trash piled up over me. I pinched my fingers together, making sure that Harrison was still in my hand. He was, curled up in my palm.

I reached up with my other hand, finding a way out from the garbage. Pulling myself out, I sat down on top of the pile and looked around. There were a few other people sitting inside as well. They didn't appear to be together, as they all wore different clothing and not a uniform.

"You a new guy?" One of them asked me. His voice was high and his body was skinny.

"Yeah," I replied, lying. I had no idea where we were going.

"Lots of money involved in this," The man continued, "and some of the finest women you'd ever seen" He smiled creepily at me.

I gave him back a slight smile, then turned away, letting it fade. Harrison sat hidden next to me.

"So what department are you in?" The man asked me.

I didn't know how to reply.

"Shut up, will you?" Another man said. He was bigger than the other man, but then again

anyone would be bigger than someone as small as him. "He's a new guy, he's probably under a

lot of pressure, so just chill, 'kay?"

The thin man stopped talking, sinking under the garbage again.

The truck stopped after a few minutes, and the back opened up. "Get outta there. Work's starting in five minutes!" The man opening the door yelled before leaving.

We got out and started walking.

"So what kind of work is this?" I asked the thin man.

"You don't know?" He asked.

"I don't believe so" I replied.

"Then why'd you sign up if you don't even know what you're getting into?" He asked.

I shrugged, "Good pay" I replied.

The thin man smiled, then rammed his shoulder into mine, "Good answer, my boy!" He laughed, "What kind of work you say?" He paused to think, "Generally we just gather as much money as possible. The boss has some big plans, and he needs lots and lots of funding"

"How do you obtain this money?" I asked.

"The boss says by any means necessary" He replied.

"Such as killing someone?" I asked.

"Sure," the man replied, "Like I said, anything to get a bit of dough"

"Good to know" I said, continuing to walk beside him. It was likely that this was where I'd find my guy, but I was curious about why 'the boss' needed so much funding.

"So do you even know what this heavily funded plan is?" I asked.

"Nah," the man replied, "the boss says that's its important, that it'll change the world for the better. I don't really care though; it's got great pay, as long as the dough keeps rolling in on your side"

I simply nodded and kept walking. Looking to my right I saw a door. A label was placed on the door, reading:

'Senior Staff Only'

Looking around quickly, I slowed my pace until I was behind the group, then ducked through the door.

Inside was a small room, with a single desk and filing cabinet set against the wall. The filing cabinet was right behind the desk.

I made my way past the desk to the cabinet and pulled open the top drawer. Empty. The next few were the same. The last one, however, was locked. Pulling out my knife, I stuck it inside the lock and picked it, sliding open the drawer.

Inside was a single file.

Pulling it out, I looked it over. The file cover was nothing special, but with a large red H stamped onto the front. Opening it, I realized that everything was written in code. I couldn't read any of it.

Just as I went to put it back the door opened. My eyes shot up. It was the thin man.

"Hey you!" He said, "You're not supposed to be in here! Did you not see the 'Senior Staff Only' sign on the front of the door?"

I stood up, "My apologies." I said, "I must have missed it"

"Wait a minute," The man looked at the file in my hand, "where'd you get that?" He asked.

"It's a file, and I'm standing in front of a filing cabinet. What do you think it is?" I asked.

He stared at me, "You liar!" He called, pulling out his gun. I was upon him before he even knew it. I caught his arm, pointing his gun away. Squeezing it, I eventually made him let go.

"Tell me," I started, "have you killed anyone recently?"

The man didn't reply.

"Have you?" I grabbed his throat, slamming him against the wall aggressively.

"Yes," he choked, "it's all part of the business, like I told you"

"Where did you kill him?" I asked.

"I-in an alley!" He replied, "That's where we always do it"

"Which alley?" I asked, pushing him harder against the wall.

"I-I don't know!" He replied, "It was some pizza place or something"

"Jim's Pizzeria?" I asked.

"Right, yeah!" He replied, 'That's the one"

"And The Popper's Emporium of Assorted Salts?" I asked.

"I think so" He replied.

I brought up my knife, stabbing him in the gut. He slid down the wall, leaving a blood streak as he did. I drew my knife, cleaning it off on his shirt, and then replacing it in its sheath. I held onto the file and left the room. Someone was just entering as I did so.

"Let me see your company ID sir" The man said, holding out his hand.

"Let me see yours" I replied.

He sighed, "I don't have time for games. Now show it to me"

I brought out my knife, stabbing him and letting him down to the floor slowly. Quickly wiping the blood off on his shirt as he went down, I continued walking, being as casual as possible.

"You didn't have to do that" Harrison said from within my jacket.

I pulled him out, "I'd forgotten that you were there" I said.

"That's because you never knew that I was inside," He pointed out, "I crawled in before you got out of the truck"

"Oh" I replied. He climbed up onto my shoulder and I quickly made my way back to the truck.

"What's that file?" Harrison asked.

"I don't know," I replied, "It's written in code"

"Then why'd you take it?" He asked.

"Forgot to put it back when I left that room earlier"

"Idiot"

"Shut up"

The dump truck was already gone, leaving a large closed garage door in its place. Lifting my sunglasses, I checked to see if there was a point in trying to open it. There was, but just barely before someone noticed and bullets started to fly.

Placing my sunglasses back on my nose I reached down, pulling the garage door.

"Hey, you there!" Someone called behind me.

"Crap!" I muttered, pulling harder.

"Don't move a frickin' muscle!" A man called. I heard a gun emerge from its holster.

The garage door was almost completely open. _Screw it_, I thought, throwing Harrison through and ducking under just as the guns were loaded.

"Damn you!" I heard voices call from the other side. I turned and started to run, swiping Harrison off the ground as I did so, only to find the dump truck right next to the garage door. Running to it, I found the driver inside, reading a magazine. I didn't stop to see what it was, but it didn't look appropriate. I pulled the guy out from the seat, took his keys, jumped into the truck, and drove off.

That's when the gunshots went off.


	6. Crimson I Chapter 6

I swerved around the corner. The others had found a way out of the building and were chasing me with guns in their hands, waving them around as they tried to catch me.

I had never driven a truck, let alone a dump truck. The back swerved about, throwing me off as I rode. _I need to get out of this thing,_ I decided, _otherwise it'll kill me._

I swerved again, purposely heading towards a wall. I swerved again so that the back of the car was only visible and not the front. I opened my door and dived out, rolling into a small alley between two buildings. The complex was much bigger than I had initially thought.

The men ran to the truck, stopped and turned around. "There's no way he could 'av survived that" One said. "Aye," Another said, "let's get outta here"

Once they were gone I emerged. _Idiots,_ I thought, _not even going to check?_ Their stupidity worked to my advantage though, as they wouldn't ever realize that I wasn't even in the truck on impact.

"Nice going idiot" Harrison said, his paws clamped hard on my coat's shoulder handles.

"You couldn't have done any better" I retorted.

"Duh," Harrison replied, "I can't even reach the wheel"

"Exactly" I replied, checking one last time to make sure that the men were gone, then quickly slipping away.

The file was still in my hand, so I quickly slipped it into my jacket.

I made my way to the truck, then worked my way slowly around it. "I need to figure out more." I said, "I need to know what H is"

"Why are you so curious about this?" Harrison asked. "It's not like it's part of the job or anything"

"I know," I replied, "but I'm curious now. I need to know whether or not this is a big deal or just another dumb scheme"

Harrison sighed, "Alright." He replied, "But don't go too deep into this. Whenever you get involved in one of these 'schemes' we run out of money"

"I know," I replied, "I know. I just want to make sure that it's nothing to sweat over"

Looking both ways, I snuck back around to the complex where I had first entered. By now everyone was pretty much in the main building. Pretty much everyone. I grabbed the man at the very end, cupping my hand over his mouth and pulling him aside.

I pushed him against the wall of the complex as I waited for everyone to disappear into the building. When they all had I brought him farther away and to a more secure and hidden area, I pulled my hand away. He opened it to scream, and my instinct took over, making me punch him hard squarely in the face.

I grabbed his shirt collar, "What's your boss planning?" I demanded.

"I wouldn't tell a person like ya" He replied.

I punched him again.

"I'm not asking" I told him.

"I ain't squealing" He persisted.

I sighed, "Look boy," I started, "I don't have time for your crap. Give me some straight answers or your going straight into the ground. We clear?"

He nodded, "Clear as crystal," he replied, "I still ain't sayin' nuttin'"

I pulled out my knife, holding it to his neck, "Like I said," I started, "I'm. Not. Asking"

"Why do you care so much?" He asked, "You're just a stupid mercenary, aren't you? A paid gun?"

"You've piqued my interest" I replied, leaning in close to him and pressing my knife blade closer to his neck. It started to draw blood.

He didn't reply.

"Do you want to die?" I asked, "Because trust me, if you don't talk, I'll kill you grab another one of your buddies and do the same thing. If he doesn't talk, he dies and I take another. The cycle will just repeat"

Silence.

"So what'll it be?" I asked, "How many people do you want to die because of you?" It wouldn't be because of him, but I could speak proper English, which made me sound smarter than him. He'd probably believe anything I told him, considering how stupid he was.

"Fine," He replied, "I'll talk. I'll talk. Ease up o' dat knife"

I pulled my knife back, but kept it against his neck.

"Look," he started, "I don't know what da plan is. All I know is dat dere's gonna be dis party soon. Da bossman gonna be dere, maybe ya could talk ta 'im dere?"

"Where's this party going to be?" I asked.

"Gee, uh," He started, "I tink it's gonna be back in town. Ten Erith Court or sometin'."

"Good," I replied, "anything else that you want to tell me?"

"Ya." He replied, "Ya ain't stoppin' us, ya freak! Ya can't jes strut in 'ere and tell us off!"

"I'll do whatever I need to" I told him.

"Say," the man started, "what's ta stop me from screamin' ma head off right now? Everyone 'ould come runnin'"

I slit his throat, causing blood to pour out onto the ground.

"This."


	7. Crimson I Chapter 7

I found my way, slowly but surely, back to the New Mug tavern in the nicer part of town. Unfortunately I didn't have my moped to make the journey quicker. I'd need to get a new one as soon as possible. I missed it already.

I sat in my tavern room, looking out the window at the town as it bustled about with its daily activities. I found people watching interesting; you just never know what someone's going to do until they do it.

Someone knocked on the door. I turned.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"Someone's here to see you" A deep voiced man called. I didn't recognize the voice.

I turned and found my knife. Hiding it in my lap, I called, "Come in"

The door creaked open, and the woman who I had taken the job from stood in the doorway.

"Oh hello," I said, "please come in"

The woman stepped inside, and the man behind her, likely a bartender, closed the door behind her.

"I took care of him for you." I said, "He's dead as a doorknob now. Although I just want you to know that he and his group seemed to be up to something, and I will be investigating their activities for the next little while. If I find out anything about your fiancé I could pass it on. Although-"

She cut me off, "Enough." She said, "Sir, I thank you for helping me with something so rough, but I regret making that decision now"

I shrugged, "Well uh," I started, "I'm sorry that you feel that way ma'am but I can't revive people, only take them away"

"I know" The woman replied.

"So uh," I started, confused, "what do you expect me to do about it?"

"To run" She replied.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Sir," She started, "I'm sorry to say this, but I turned you over to the police." She paused, "They'll be here any minute now"

I was shocked, "Why would you tell me about it then?" I asked, trying to remain calm.

"To give you a second chance," She replied, then leaned forward, "run away," she continued quieter, "start over. Change your name. Forget the whole thing"

"You do realize that you will be blamed for this still." I reminded her, "You paid me to kill a man"

"Yes," she replied, "I know. But I feel that a sinful man like you should be put to rest, no matter what. And if I must suffer, then so be it. But I'm giving you a chance to leave that sinful man behind, so please take it"

I sighed, trying to contain my anger. I'd been turned over to the police before, they weren't a problem. But this woman was trying to make herself out to be some kind of hero, like this was going to help me or something. I didn't care about starting over. I didn't spend four years at Beacon to change my career now.

I didn't say anything, just stared at her. "You fool" I said, starting to pack my things.

"What do you mean?" She asked, surprised.

"I'll kill anyone who gets in my way," I said, "I'll kill the police, and I'll kill you too"

She stared at me, fear plain in her face. I drew my knife and charged.

"Gazini!" Harrison called form the floor, "Stop!"

I froze.

"She doesn't deserve it." He said, "Just pack your things and let's go"

I thought for a minute, then sheathed my knife and went back to packing my belongings.

"I'm taking your advice and running," I told the woman, "but there's no way I'm throwing four years at Beacon away"

"You went to Beacon?" The woman asked me, "Beacon Academy?"

"As opposed to…?" I asked, packing Harrison's basket into my shoulder bag.

"That's a school for training huntsmen and huntresses." She said.

"No duh"

"Why're you an assassin if you attended Beacon?" She asked.

I hefted my shoulder bag onto my shoulder, "Things changed" I replied, lifting my suitcase and heading out. I opened the door and turned, "Oh and by the way I'm out a moped because of you"

I slammed the door behind me and ran.

* * *

Now outside the New Mug tavern, I started looking for a transportation shop. I pulled off my sunglasses, looking around. I found one quite a ways into town and started running.

Behind me I heard the police arrive at New Mug tavern, but by then I was too far away to be suspicious.

I arrived at the transportation store and looked around for a decent moped. I lifted my sunglasses and looked around, finding the one that would serve me best, buying it, and leaving. It took about a quarter of the money I had gained from my last job.

I made my way out of town as quickly as possible. For the rest of the ride out I had no troubles with the police. _What about the party?_ I asked myself, turning around on the moped, _The police should be gone by the time I return. I'll just stay at a different tavern, in a different part of town. _

Returning to the town I found a new tavern in the shady part of town.

"You sure you want to be in cliché-ville here?" Harrison asked me.

"Sure," I replied, "what would be here that I wouldn't already be prepared for? I've seen all the movies"

"True" Harrison replied.

Our new room was much worse. The floorboards creaked, and it sounded like there was something living under them.

"We're on the second floor," I said, "It's just the people below us"

"People are weird" Harrison decided.

There was a small cot set up in the middle of the room, with a table right next to it. Looking around, I couldn't find anything else. No kitchen or stove, no television, nothing. It was just a very small room.

"Where's the bathroom?" I asked, looking around possibly for a cliché hidden door.

"Here" Harrison replied, backing out from under the table, a large silver bucket between his jaws.

"If that's the toilet then maybe you shouldn't be biting it" I told him.

Immediately Harrison dropped the bucket and it clattered to the floor. The sound rang out throughout the room, hurting our ears.

I sighed, walking to the cot, "Okay," I started, sitting down. The cot mattress split in two when I sat down, causing me to fall through and slam my butt on the wood.

Harrison giggled.

"Alright," I said, standing up to sit down on the table. I rethought it as I lowered myself and hit the table. It rocked slightly, then it was still. I shrugged and sat down. The table cracked, and then split.

"Geez," I said, "and I'm paying two bucks a night for this?"

I sat down on the floor.

"You sure that's not going to break either?" Harrison asked.

"I certainly hope not," I replied, "or I'm burning this place down"

I took off my sunglasses, looking about the room. "It's so much brighter all of a sudden" I said.

"If you hadn't been wearing your sunglasses you could have avoided both your falls" Harrison pointed out.

"I know," I replied, "I just forgot that they were there"

Harrison smiled.

I sighed, trying to relax. "I'm going to need a map" I said.

"Why?" Harrison asked.

"I can't see everything you know" I pointed out.

After a few minutes of relaxing I went downstairs and asked for a map. After receiving one Harrison and I looked it over in our room. We located Erith Court, found the tenth house, and headed out right away.

"I'm hungry" Harrison complained.

"We can't risk being seen in public for too long," I said, "our faces could be all over this town by now"

"I can't fight on an empty stomach" Harrison said.

"That's true," I replied, "but you won't be doing any fighting anyways"

My stomach growled as if on cue.

I sighed, and we stopped at a café to eat.

"I wonder what's going to happen at this party" Harrison asked, sitting on the table and nibbling a sandwich. Some people cast him confused looks, but when they did he just barred his fangs and they left quickly, whether it be to another café or to a table.

I swallowed my bite of sandwich, "I feel the same way," I replied, "I can't see how this will turn out, so our only option is to check it out the old fashioned way"

"Manually" Harrison added.

I adjusted myself in my seat. My Arkynshihn was getting in the way of my sitting.

"Excuse me sir?" Someone stopped to ask me. I turned. It was a small boy. "Are you a huntsman?"

"Yes," I lied, "you interested in it too?"

The boy shook his head, "No," He replied, "I just wanted to thank you for all you do for us"

The boy was quickly ushered out of the café by his mother.

"Liar" Harrison said.

"What else could I have said?" I asked, "That I'm a mercenary? No kid would look up to me and thank me. Plus I'm kind of a criminal"

"You should really return to your huntsmen ways" Harrison said, licking his lips.

I sighed, "I know," I replied, "but you know what happened. Things changed, work changed. Times became tougher. I needed more work"

"Times are different now" Harrison pointed out.

"I know" I replied, taking a bite of my sandwich.

* * *

We found house ten on Erith Court. Erith Court consisted of very large homes, but this one was massive. No one stood at the door with a guest list, so I walked in. I had dressed up in the little formal clothing that I had. I hated formal clothing. It was hard to fight in.

We walked in, Harrison seated on my shoulder as usual. Inside the house was magnificent. A large chandelier hung from the ceiling, illuminating the entire front room. The ceiling was high and everyone's voices echoed. There was a set of two staircases leading up to a large balcony. Several open doorways covered the walls on my left and right side, leading to the maze of rooms that likely lived in this mansion.

Atop the balcony I saw a man in a sharp white suit. He had long blue hair that had been slicked back with hoards of hair gel. His hair glistened in the chandelier light.

I pulled my sunglasses out from my suit pocket and put them on, reducing the amount of light penetrating my eyeballs.

"The light hurts my eyes" I told Harrison.

"I know," He replied, "you're sensitive"

"Only to light" I said, straightening my blazer and heading into the party fray.

Someone offered me a pint of whiskey.

"No thanks" I told him, trying to move on. He grabbed my sleeve.

"Come on bro," he said, "dis is a celebration! You's come 'ere ta drink, you's bett'r drink!" He shoved the pint towards me.

I sighed, taking the glass. He stared at me for a while. I took a sip and he left, slapping my arm, "'Atta boy!" He said. I smiled and nodded, then found a trash can and spat the whiskey I had held in my mouth out, then proceeded to throw out the entire pint.

"Turning down a drink?" Harrison asked, faking surprise.

"I might have to fight," I said, "I need to be in my best condition"

Some other people came to me, giving me drinks. Most were already drunk. I would take and drink then throw it out.

"You're wasting a lot" Harrison said.

"Alcohol's bad for you anyway" I said, continuing my journey to the balcony.

"That's never stopped you before" Harrison pointed out.

"Shut up" I told him.

The blue-haired man I assumed was the boss, as he looked the most official and hadn't moved an inch from where he stood on the balcony. People came up to talk to him, but their conversations were short lived as the blue-haired man sent them back into the party fray. They were already very drunk.

I made my way up the stairs and met with the man.

"Oh hello sir," he said, "I don't believe that we've been acquainted"

"Garry," I replied, "Keinan Garry." I pointed to Harrison, "And this is Nicodemus" Harrison nodded to him but didn't say anything.

"I see," the blue-haired man said, "I assume that you are new then?"

"Yes," I replied, "I just joined a few days ago. I'm quite impressed with the house"

"Why thank you," the man replied, "it costed me a fortune but it was most definitely worth it. It holds some of the greatest parties in the town"

"I can see why" I replied, looking around the house again in fake admiration. Although I was very jealous.

"I almost forgot," the man started, "so sorry, Mr. Garry. I'm Mr. Fall"

I froze in place. The name Fall was all too familiar. Back in Beacon the teams RWBY and JNPR had been involved in a major conflict concerning a certain Cinder Fall. I wasn't sure how common the name was, but either way this was definitely important.

I tried my best not to show my surprise, but Mr. Fall saw straight through it.

"Something bothering you?" He asked.

"Oh sorry Mr. Fall," I replied, the name feeling odd as it rolled off my tongue, "it's just that the name Fall is familiar"

"Really?" Mr. Fall asked, "Where do you remember it from?"

I paused, "I remember it from a few years ago." I replied, "I heard something about a Cinder Fall and Beacon Academy getting heavily involved in it" I remembered being involved in the clash against Cinder and the White Fang. I also remember it being very tough and controversial in terms of Faunus rights.

"Oh yes," Mr. Fall replied, "Miss Cinder Fall. Yes she's my sister"

"Really?" I replied,_ Holy crap, really?_ I thought, _This guy's probably up to something big and dangerous_, "So is she still involved with the White Fang?" I asked.

"Oh," Mr. Fall waved his hand, as if waving my statement away, "no, no, no. My dear sister is no longer involved with those violent Faunus freaks"

"I'm glad to hear it." I replied, "You aren't by chance acquainted with them either, are you?"

"No, no," Mr. Fall replied, "No, we have nothing to do with the White Fang. Never have, never will. We support Faunus and humans everywhere, but we are not affiliated with the White Fang in any way"

"That's good to hear" I replied.

There was a slight pause, then I asked, "So I'm a little confused, what's the big master plan here?"

Mr. Fall laughed, "Equality," He replied, "we're looking to create equality between humans and Faunus, in a way different from the White Fang. Much different"

"And how will we go about doing that?" I asked.

Mr. Fall laughed again, "Mr. Garry, I'm afraid that's top secret information. I can't allow a new recruit like you to know. I'm sorry, but it's just a safety precaution"

"I see," I replied, "no worries then. Forget I asked"

"Done" Mr. Fall replied.

There was a brief silence.

"Say, Keinan," Mr. Fall started, "your English is very good"

"Oh thank you," I replied, "but I'd hope so, it is my first language" I laughed a little, hoping Mr. Fall would go along, but he didn't. His face turned quite serious actually.

"No one here's first language is English," he said, "in fact, I've never hired anyone who's first language was English"

"I'm sorry?" I started, "Maybe you haven't come across my papers, I am fairly new, as you know"

"I get the registration papers immediately." Mr. Fall replied, "I look them over thoroughly. Actually, I don't remember a Keinan Garry even being in any papers"

I hesitated, unsure of what to say.

"Who are you really?" Mr. Fall asked, leaning forward, "What are you after?"

I froze up. I didn't know what to say. I couldn't compete against him with my words. And before I knew it I had fallen over the balcony railing and into the group of drunks below. They caught me, surprisingly, and brought me towards the exit, the whole time singing and swinging me around.

"Drop him!" Mr. Fall screamed. When they didn't he pulled out a pistol and fired it off into the air several times. After the third shot everyone scattered, dropping Harrison and I to the hard ground.

Mr. Fall kept firing even after everyone had ran off, whether it be into other rooms or out of the house altogether.

I stood up, ready to face Mr. Fall head on.

"If it's a fight you want," I said, "then it's a fight that you'll get!"

Just then Mr. Fall pulled the trigger, and Harrison fell off my shoulder.

Before I even realized what was going on, one lens of my sunglasses was overtaken by an ocean of white cracks.

I fell backwards, hitting my head hard on the stone ground. Next to me I saw Harrison, his small body broken on the floor next to me.

I heard Mr. Fall pull the trigger again, but he had run out of bullets.

"Guards!" He screamed, "Anyone who's not drunk and has a gun, get in here now!"

My shattered sunglasses fell off my face, but I barely noticed. I reached out to Harrison, "Harrison," I whispered, feeling tears coming to my eyes.

He opened his small black eyes, "Gazini," he whispered, "Look at me"

I nodded, "I am looking" I whispered, my voice shaking already.

"What do you see?" He croaked.

I started to cry now. I forced myself to respond, however, "I see," I started, "my little brother"

Harrison smiled, closing his eyes. Then he was gone.

I reached out to him, running my hand along his furry orange head. "No…" I whispered.

Mr. Fall screamed again, but I didn't hear him.

_He had a fair chance right?_ I thought, _Didn't he? _I looked down at my broken sunglasses, which had saved my life. Anger began to swell within me. _No,_ I thought, _he never had a fair chance. None of us did. Not when we were born. Not when went to school. Not when we walked into that damned science lab. No. Life isn't fair. _

I forced myself to stand. _None of us are born with a fair chance. _I thought. _No one. Why?_ I turned my head towards the people starting to gather behind me. "Because we don't deserve it." I replied to my own question, "We aren't born deserving a fair chance. Harrison wasn't. I wasn't. No one was."

I turned completely around, my hand going for my Arkynshihn.

"And neither do they."


	8. Crimson I Chapter 8

**Hello my fellow readers! Sorry that I haven't really been keeping in touch with you guys throughout the story, and that this chapter is a little later than the others. Anyways, this is the last chapter of Crimson I, sorry that its a little short but its mostly an action chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

I saw the nearest man to me fire exactly thirteen bullets into my body and kill me. Before that happened I tore my blade from its sheath, deflecting each bullet. Before he could fire any more I charged, slicing his gun, and arm, in half. He bled out, stumbling backwards. I finished him off by slicing him diagonally in half.

I was surrounded by several men already, all poised to fire their guns. I saw myself completely overtaken by the bullets and die. Memorizing the direction each bullet came from, I blocked each shot, not taking a single one.

They began to reload, and I took this opportunity.

The bottom half of my blade is thicker and bigger, whereas the top half is thinner and smaller. At the middle point the top half retracts into the bottom half of the blade to fit into my sheath, but it can also extend out from there.

I swung my blade to the side, causing it to extend and reach the nearest man. I severed him on it, then spun around, dragging my blade with me and cutting everyone in half. They collapsed to the ground in bloody heaps.

I saw one man approaching me, drawing his blade and charging. I swung my blade around my head, lopping the top half of his head clean off.

Looking up at the balcony, I saw Mr. Fall still standing there, a panicked look spread across his face. He glanced right and left, then pulled out a radio to call reinforcements. Either he didn't want to fight or he was incapable.

I grabbed the ball at the end of my sword hilt in one hand, let go with the other, and initiated the transformation. The blade split down the middle, through the hilt and to the bottom ball in my hand. A long tight string stretched out between either end of the separated blade, creating a bow. Lastly, an arrow dropped down from the inside of the blade into place. I always had an arrow hidden inside, in case of emergencies.

I caught the arrow, aiming it up at Mr. Fall. I saw him easily avoid the arrow by moving his head aside. So I aimed enough to the side so that he wouldn't see any danger, but enough to startle him and allow me another shot on his head.

I aimed and released. Sure enough he jumped and fell to the ground, panting. I drew another arrow from the quiver attached to the top of my sheath and put it into place.

Just then I felt someone grab me from behind. I dropped Arkynshihn and was dragged backwards.

Quickly regaining my balance, I swung my head back, breaking his nose against the back of it. He let go, stumbling backwards. I drew my knife and whipped it into his skull. He fell backwards, blood spilling out from his forehead.

I spun around, immediately faced by another man. He swung a short sword at me, and I ducked to avoid it. Punching him in the chest, I knocking the wind out of him. I stood as he was catching his breath and broke his neck.

I grabbed Arkynshihn and retracted it into a blade, charging up the stairs to the balcony. Mr. Fall was already gone, likely into the next room.

I ran through the door, seeing four men standing before me in a large room. Each was equipped with interestingly colored armor and weapons. Each weapon was the same, which was a katana. Mr. Fall stood at the end of the room.

"I'll kill you" I said, pointing my sword forward and charging into the group. I was stopped by the first two men. I clashed blades with the first one, sparks flying around us. Dodging to the side, I evaded a long whip. Looking closer, each katana was divided into sections along the blade which separated, turning them into bladed whips. Furthermore, at the tip of the blade instead of a sharp point was a small barrel. _Gun-whip katana_, I thought, _didn't see that coming._

I kicked the first guy aside, then turned to the second man approaching me. He swung his katana, causing it to extend. Pulling a trigger, he fired a round at me from the tip. I dodged just in time; rolling to the side and swinging my blade as I went, cutting his leg clean off. He tumbled to the ground.

Before I could finish him off I saw someone attack from behind. Spinning around, I swung my sword as I went and sliced straight through his katana and his body, causing him to fall to the ground and blood to pour out.

The next two men approached me, swinging both their katanas in synch, making them more difficult to avoid. I always had to dodge two blades, two whips, or two bullets at once. Finally their blades came from either direction. I ducked down and the blades looped around. I knew that they would avoid their own blades but still hoped to see them kill each other.

Standing and turning to face them, I flipped my blade into a bow and hooked it around someone's head. Shutting the bow into a blade, I decapitated the first man.

I stabbed my blade forward, over the first man as he fell and died, and plunged it into the second man's gut. He stopped for a second, and I transformed my blade into a bow, ripping him in half.

I turned to Mr. Fall, ready to fight him.

He was nowhere to be found.

* * *

**So what did you all think? I know its a cliffhanger with lot's of unanswered questions, but Gazini's story will continue in Crimson II. Please favorite, follow or just read it, the view count is still motivation. Seriously guys, you are awesome. Already I have 427 views! Now I know that that's not a lot but everyone starts out small right? **

**Anyways, I'm extremely excited to continue with the story and for those people who have been consistently reading this I hope you are too. Whether you like it or not this story's going straight to the very end, there's no way I'm going to just give up on it. However, this will be the last chapter for a little while as I was working on another story before this and haven't quite finished it. **

**Anyways, thanks for reading and please give me feedback in the reviews, everything is appreciated. I'll see you all later in Pink I!**


	9. Pink I Chapter 1

**Hello fellow readers! Thank you for waiting patiently but I am currently working on another story so sometimes it can be hard to find time to write both. This is the next part of the story, with a new character and new conflict. **

**Also, the day that I am posting this is Christmas, so this is my gift to all of you!**

**Anyways, here it is, the first chapter of Pink I! Enjoy!**

**Pink I**

Walking down the street, I arrived at the Knight at Night, a tavern housing the Knight at Night guild and its members. The tavern had been transformed into a guild hall only a year ago, and I'd been a member since. It was a good place to work at my own pace, accepting jobs that I was comfortable with. There were always posters covering all the walls, and the types were limitless. From reading to old people to hunting monsters in the mountains, the Knight at Night was for anyone with talent

I walked in, looking around at all the familiar faces.

"Good morning everyone!" I called cheerfully.

"Oy!" Branislav called, "Nicole! Come an' share a drink with the boys!"

I smiled, "Not today Branislav!" I called. He'd been trying to share a drink with me and his boys since the guild started.

I sat down at the counter, setting my two identical brown suitcases down at my feet by the counter and ordered a small breakfast sandwich. I wasn't very big myself, so I didn't need to eat very much.

Merche, the bartender, handed me my sandwich with a smile. I smiled back.

"So how long are you going to stick around this time?" She asked. I had been gone on my last job for a few days.

"I don't know," I replied, "you never can tell how long you'll be gone"

"I'm starting to wonder if you're inefficient" She suggested.

"Me?" I asked, "Nah, I'm just thorough. They always pay in full, typically with a few bonuses on top. They appreciate me if anything"

"Oh please," Merche said, "they just can't resist"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Have you looked in a mirror lately?" She asked, "You're so darn cute. No guy could resist with you doing such a 'thorough job'"

"Oh thanks Merche" I replied, not saying anymore.

"Have you seriously not caught on with that yet?" Merche asked.

"You've told me enough to get the picture" I replied.

Merche smiled, then looked towards the stairs just right of the counter, or her left. "Your room is waiting," She said, "You should probably go get cleaned up and rest a bit"

I stood up, finishing my sandwich, "Right," I replied, "Thanks!"

Picking up my twin suitcases, I headed up the stairs to my room. Inside, I stripped down to my underwear, collapsed on my bed, and fell asleep.

* * *

Waking up several hours later, I sat up in my bed. I stretched out my arms and legs as I opened my mouth in a wide yawn. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I finally stood up.

_Perhaps I should start on my next job_, I thought, _After all, no rest for the weary right?_

I went to my closet, picking out the same clothing that I wore every single day. Setting them on my bed, I went to change my underwear, which I hadn't done in a few days already. Clearly I needed to bring more along on bigger jobs like the last one.

Going to the mirror with my clothes, I started to dress myself for the day. On normal days, like this one, I wore a pink dress that reached just past my small chest. I've always been very small. The dress itself wasn't anything fancy or special, not to me at least. The dress bottom reached my knees and spread out from my waist to the bottom. Separate from the dress but with the same theme, I wore long pink sleeves with slight frills at the wrists. They went up to my shoulders, which were still bare. To top it all off, I slipped into a red vest. It went down to my waist, then spread out over my dress bottom. The straps divided my shoulders from my neck, then came inwards to my lower chest, where it was tied together with white lace. I always had the lace tied tighter, so that it didn't fall off during a job.

Going to my small bathroom, I applied a heavy amount of make-up to my white face. I had very dark brown eyes, which oftentimes people said looked black at a certain distance. I untied my pink unkempt ponytails (which I had forgotten to take out before going to bed), then tired them back up on either side of my head. They were small, more like balls of hair with a short point of hair sticking out of the bottom, but I liked them. They were conveniently placed outside of my vision. I had tucked my bangs in behind my ears after getting dressed, but some rebellious strands had made their way to the front of my face. They weren't particularly in my line of vision, but I pushed them back anyway.

As I was about to leave with my suitcases, I realized that I had forgotten two things. First of all, to take a shower. I was already clothed and make-upped, so I decided to take one after my next job (which I had said before my last job as well). Secondly, I forgot Tina.

I went back to the center of my room, where I found the outfit that I'd taken off before going to bed earlier. Sorting through the clothing, I found Tina. Tina was a silver revolver with a long thin barrel. A blade protruded out from underneath the barrel, extended farther than it did. The revolver was filled with different dust vials, so I could shoot multiple types of rounds out of one gun. Tina was my secondary weapon; however, my primary was in my suitcases.

I stood, clipping Tina to a place on the back of my dress, just at my waistline. Before leaving my room, I slipped into my red and pink heeled shoes, which were the fanciest article of clothing that I had.

Returning downstairs, I looked at the clock. It was just past lunch, and the guild hall was bustling with activity.

"The princess arrives!" Branislav announced from his table.

I smiled, then went to the counter for some late lunch. Merche was at the counter as she always was, washing dishes and what-not.

"Morning sleepyhead" She said.

I smiled, then sat down. "Hey Merche," I said, "What's the lunch special today?"

"Spaghetti with meatballs" She replied.

"I'll take that then" I said, producing enough Lien to pay for it.

She took the money, prepared the meal, then slid it to me from where she was on the other side of the counter.

As I ate Branislav came up to the counter. He leaned against it and stared at me. I turned to him and smiled politely, not particularly interested in interacting. Branislav seemed like a decent guy, but I was just hungry and didn't want any interruptions.

Branislav was a pretty burly guy. He mostly worked sailing jobs, as far as I knew of. He always wore a long, thick trench coat and baggy, thick pants. To top it off he wore a war sailor's hat of some kind.

"Hey Nicole," he started, "when're you goin' to open up those chests o' yours?"

I assumed that he was referring to my suitcases, "Maybe one day you'll be able to see them" I replied.

"Tell you what," He started, "I show you my chest if you show me yours"

In a moment's notice I was on my feet, my hand colliding with his face. His head slammed against the counter and his nose started to bleed. I frowned, sitting back down and continuing with my lunch.

"I'm trying to eat here if you don't mind," I replied, "I don't need a pervert like you taking away my appetite"

Branislav stood, straightening his trench coat, wiping his nose with a napkin, and left back to his table.

"What a pig" Merche said, walking by me behind the counter.

"I'll say" I replied.

"So are you going to take a break then?" Merche asked.

"Nah" I replied, "No rest for the weary right?"

"Alright," she said, "but take a shower will you? You stink"

"But this is fresh make-up" I protested.

Merche slapped a few Lien on the counter in front of me, "I'll pay for it then," she replied, "just please take care of it"

So I did.

**So as you can probably already tell, the story has slowed down significantly from Crimson I. The next five colors that I'll be writing stories for will be the same. Although I'm thinking that Pink I will be shorter (about 4-5 chapter I think), so you won't have to wait as long to finish this one.**

**Thanks for reading and please tell me what you think in the reviews. I love hearing from you guys. Also, favorite, follow, and tell your RWBY-loving friends if you have any. **

**I'll see you in the next chapter, which'll be up in a few days. **


	10. Pink I Chapter 2

**Hello again everyone! Good to see that your all still here. Pink I is proceeding as planned, with a much shorter lifespan than Crimson I, but unfortunately ****won't be as good. Nicole's backstory isn't as important as Gazini's, but its just nice to have introductions.**

**There'll probably be about 2-3 more Pink chapters after this and then we're onto the third color.**

**Also I just noticed this today but Crimson I chapter 8 has more views than the one previous to it. It's not particularly important but I was just surprised and decided to tell you guys. **

**Anyways, without further adieu, here it is, Pink I chapter 2!**

* * *

The water was hot against my face. It felt nice though, showering after several days of straight working. I ran my fingers through my longish pink hair, rubbing the shampoo in and washing it out.

Stepping out from the shower, water dripped off my naked body onto the towel that I had laid down beside the shower, to avoid getting the ground wet. Pulling another towel off the wall hanger, I dried myself as best I could, then tied up my hair. To finish it off, I tied my last towel around my chest.

Walking out of my bathroom, I sat down on the wooden floor. There wasn't anything I could do while I waited for my hair to dry, so I just sat and thought. _What job should I take on next?_ I wondered, but then quickly realized how stupid it was to think about that right now, when I had no idea what the jobs on the board would be.

After sitting on the ground for a few minutes I stood up, bored, and untied both towels. My hair was dry enough to walk around in, plus the air outside would dry it out quicker.

I was in the nude but my door was locked, so I was safe as far as I knew of. Unless someone decided to break into my room right now I'd be fine. Either way, whoever did it would wish that they had never even looked at my door.

My dress was lying on my bed. I slipped into it, pulled on my sleeves, tied up the red vest, and went back into the bathroom. I reapplied my make-up, latched Tina into place, and went back downstairs.

At a job wall I felt a heavy presence behind me.

"Nicole?" Branislav's deep voice asked.

"What?" I asked, half paying attention, half looking for a job.

"Sorry about my comment earlier," He replied, "it was very crude and-"

I waved my hand at him, as if waving away his words, "Don't sweat it," I interrupted, "it's not a big deal. Just remember the consequences next time" I had repeated these words to him many times, as he always spoke crudely to me in that way.

"Thanks" He said, turning around to leave. I scanned the last half of this section of the wall.

"Anything good?" Someone asked beside me.

I turned. It was Octavia.

"Not sure yet" I replied.

Octavia was fairly new to the guild, having only joined a few months ago, but she was an instant hit. People here liked her, both in the town and guild. She was very carefree, but she always got the job done.

"Oh, what's this?" Octavia asked, looking closer at a job. "People are going missing, then returning later? Huh. Wonder what the big deal is"

I reached out, pulling a job off the wall. It was labelled:

'Village Defense Needed

Reward: 1,000,000L'

_One-million Lien for some village defense?_ I thought, _Why so much? What's the threat?_ I peered closer. There wasn't any more information other than the location. Barcombe.

"You taking that one?" Octavia asked me.

I looked up, "I'm thinking about it," I replied, "but I have no idea where Barcombe is. Do you?"

Octavia looked the job poster over, "Yeah I do," she replied, "it's on the way of this kidnapping job actually. Why don't I take you?"

"Um," I started. Unlike everyone else, I didn't really like Octavia.

She had long violet colored dreadlocks and red eyes. She wore a black turtle neck sweater and a light purple short sleeved jacket. She didn't have it buttoned up either. She wore dark blue jeans and knee-high laced black boots. To top it off, she wore a large hammer on her back, the handle almost reached the ground and the hammer was just at her head. If she flung her head back she'd smack it hard. It wasn't so much her clothing that I disliked, but her recklessness. I felt like she couldn't take anything seriously. Also, maybe this was just slight jealousy, but her breasts were quite large.

"If you just want directions that's fine," she continued, "but I'm going that way anyway, so whether you like it or not we're travelling at least half the way along the same path"

I sighed, "Alright," I replied, "so how long do you think it'll take to get there then?"

"Barcombe isn't far. Maybe a day's walk from here. A few hours' drive, but I don't have a car. Do you?"

"No" I replied.

"Alright," She started, "well, we'd better get going right away then"

We went up to the counter and told Merche which jobs we were taking, and she sent messenger birds ahead to alert the villages that help was coming.

Outside we started walking, but Octavia quickly started running.

"Come on!" She called excitedly, "You don't want to be left behind do you?"

I sighed, starting to run. It was hard to run in heeled shoes, so I dragged behind a lot.

"What's the hold up?" Octavia called back, "Don't you want to get there by sunset?"

I sighed, trying to run faster. It only resulted in a twisted ankle. I tumbled to the ground, giving a small squeal as I did. Octavia spun around, then ran back to help me.

"What's going on?" She asked, eyeing my ankle. She groaned, "You're wearing heels?" She asked.

"Of course!" I replied.

Octavia sighed, "Alright." She replied, taking my shoes off, "You'll have to run in bare feet then"

"What?" I cried.

"If you can't keep up then we ain't getting there. I move quickly, you move slowly. Remember who's leading you there"

"Why don't you just give me directions then?" I suggested.

"Fine," Octavia replied, "do you have any prissy pink paper for me to write them on?"

I did, actually, in my suitcases, stored for such occasions. But I didn't want her to know that. "I can remember them just fine" I replied.

"Good to hear" She replied. She told me where to go, then headed off. I sat on the dirt ground, letting my twisted ankle heal.

"Oh right," Octavia came back, "forgot about you ankle. Here" She grabbed it, which was quite painful, and twisted it back into place. I gritted my teeth, sucking it up. My aura would heal it anyway.

"Oh don't be such a crybaby," Octavia told me, "you'll be fine in a few minutes" Then she was gone.

Sure enough, I was ready to keep moving very quickly. While I waited though, I quickly wrote down the directions. My memory wasn't as good as it used to be. Putting on my shoes and standing, I was finally ready to keep moving and started towards Barcombe.

* * *

**So there you have it. As you can see this portion is taking less time to mess around and more time to get right into it. I've already finished the next chapter, just need to do some editing, so expect it in the next few days. Also, remember Octavia for later, she's somewhat important. **

**And like always, favorite, follow, tell you friends, increase the view count. Everything and anything is appreciated. See you all in the next chapter!**


	11. Pink I Chapter 3

**Hello again. As you can probably already tell I'm trying to stay in contact with you guys if that's what you'd call it. So far this portion of the story is well under way and just like I said in the last chapter, will be wrapping up quickly. But for now, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Hours dragged by as I walked through the empty wasteland. Generally the path I followed was flat, with a small path here and there leading me along. Once in a while there was a rock or two. Slowly the day went by, turning to night. As the sun descended from the sky the terrain got rougher. I climbed over small rocky hills, and soon arrived at the small village of Barcombe just before midnight.

Two people waited for me outside the village, a man and woman. They said that they'd be housing me while I carried out the job.

"So what kind of stuff am I going to be fighting against?" I asked them as we walked back to the village, which was only a little ways away.

"We're not sure," the woman replied, "but we're suspicious of a certain group, so we thought that we could use some extra defense"

"So what if this group doesn't ever attack you?" I asked, "What then?"

"Well," the woman started, "we'll pay you for your troubles, so don't worry about that. But we and our leader are quite certain that they're coming"

"Okay" I replied. I wasn't too certain myself, but whatever. I was getting paid for this. "So who is this group?"

"A Faunus-human equality group" The woman replied.

"I'm confused," I replied, "that sounds like a pretty decent group. Why would they attack a village like this?"

"Don't ask," the man replied suddenly, "the leader foretold it"

"Oh" I replied.

"It was an omen" The woman added.

We reached the village and I was lead into a small house and given a small room to stay in. The room was made up of a small mattress lain on the ground. I set my suitcases down next to it, then headed out into the village.

It was made up of several secure wooden houses, with one stone house right in the middle. Inside the stone house, I found a large fire, as well as lots of room surrounding it. It was likely that this was a gathering place for the village.

"So you've arrived Mrs. Rozovyy." A man called from the staircase on the other side of the room, "So glad that you could make it"

"I'm sorry sir," I started, "but it's just Miss"

"I beg your pardon?" The man asked.

"I'm not married" I replied.

"Oh," the man said, "I'm terribly sorry about that. I just assumed with your age and all"

"No, no," I replied, "it's fine. Don't worry about it." Memories flooded into my mind all of a sudden. I heard babies crying, a woman screaming, and I saw an empty bed and an open window.

"Miss Rozovyy?" The man asked, "Are you quite alright?"

I snapped to attention, "Yes sir," I replied, "I'm fine" The last of the dark memories faded.

"Good," the man continued, "now, you may have figured this out already but I'm the leader of this village. My name is Timur"

"Nice to meet you Timur," I replied, "you can just call me Nicole"

"What a lovely name," Timur said, "and I shall do just that, Nicole. Now, would you please come with me?"

We walked up the stairs to a living room and sat down on wooden chairs by a much smaller fireplace.

"Let's talk business." Timur started, "The group Fallen Dawn is a group dedicated to providing equal rights to both humans and Faunus, or so they say. It has been foretold that they will come to this village in a few days' time to destroy us. I do hope that you can handle them"

"How big is this group?" I asked.

"A handful of members, five to ten I believe" He replied.

"I'll try," I decided, "but have someone on standby for reinforcements, just in case"

"I'll get right on that" he replied.

"So the pay is still 1,000,000 Lien correct?" I asked.

"2,000,000 Lien," Timur corrected, "We raised the reward, as it is getting much more urgent. But if you only want 1,000,000 then that's fine with me"

"If you raised the reward I expect to be paid as such" I replied firmly.

"Very well." Timur replied, "You shall be paid afterwards. You may go now"

I stood, thanked him, and left. I found the house that I was staying in and sat down on the bed. I had forgotten that it was still nighttime and tried to fall asleep.

"Mrs. Rozovyy?" Someone asked. It was the woman who's house I was living in.

"Yes?" I replied, not bothering to correct her.

"Is there anything that you're going to need while you stay here?" She asked, "Medications? Specific foods?"

"No," I replied, "I don't take medication anymore"

There was a pause. "What did you take it for?" The woman asked.

"Heart problems." I replied, standing up. I walked out of my room to find the woman standing right on the other side of the door, "Do you have running water anywhere?" I asked.

"Yes," She replied, "We have a pump. Let me take you" She lead me outside and we started out. "My name's Estera, in case you were wondering. And my husband is Des" She said as we walked.

"I'm Nicole," I said, "but I'm assuming that you already knew that"

"Yes," Estera replied, "so what kind of heart problems do you have?"

"I'm more prone to heart attacks," I replied, "or at least something similar. Its caused when my adrenaline builds up"

"Like when you move quickly?" Estera asked.

"Move quickly. Move too much without a break. When I get excited. Those kinds of things"

"You're a huntress right?" She asked.

"Yes"

"So then when you fight, aren't you more likely to have one of these heart attacks?"

"Yep"

"Then why are you a huntress if you know that can happen?"

"Because I'm willing to give up everything to defending the people of Remnant." I replied, "I can fight, so I won't let my health stop me from doing just that. I guess you could say that I'm dedicated"

"Oh," Estera replied, "I see"

"But I've never had a heart attack, so I think I'm fine" I replied, smiling and changing the mood entirely.

We reached the water pump.

"So what do you need from here?" Estera asked.

"I just need to wash off my make-up before I hit the sack"

"Oh," Estera replied, "okay"

"You can head back, I know my way from here" I replied.

"You'll need someone to pump the water" She pointed out.

I looked over at the pump. Sure enough, it was an old-fashioned water pump.

"Alright," I replied, "but don't freak out, okay?"

"Why would I freak out?" Estera asked.

"You'll get it when it happens" I replied, putting my head under the water pump.

Estera started pumping and soon enough freezing cold water splashed over my face. I almost jumped out at first, but I sucked in my breath and scrubbed my face clean as best I could. Standing up, Estera stopped pumping and looked up. She gasped.

"Nicole, your face!"

* * *

**So there you have it. I think that this was a shorter chapter, sorry about that. But anyways I'm curious as to what you guys think is wrong (or right) with Nicole's face. Tell me in the reviews. and while your at it, favorite, follow, tell your friends and tell your enemies (or not, its up to you). Thanks for reading and I'll see you all in the next chapter. **


	12. Pink I Chapter 4

**Hello again! Welcome to the next chapter of Pink I. Like I've already been saying, this portion will be wrapping up very shortly. I'm currently working on the next chapter, which should be up in a little while.**

**But I have something that I need to discuss with you guys. So recently I got a review (it may not be up yet but I got the email) where someone asked "'How many people are you doing before you get back to Gazini?'", meaning 'when will Crimson II start?' Well, that's what I need to discuss with you people. **

**My plan was to write White I and then start Crimson II. Now you may be reading this and saying, "But SquigglyCrunch, you devilishly handsome magnificent writer, you said in the story summary that there are eight major characters, not three!" Well yes, but I've been thinking about not writing intros for most of those characters to increase the shock value later on. However, I want you guys to decide (sort of). I've set up a poll that you can vote on. And for those of you who don't have account and can't vote, post your vote in a review. **

**The reason why I didn't want to write several of the introductions is because they'd be too short. Azure I and Orange I would vary from about 2-4 chapters each. Violet I would be a bit longer like Crimson I, but I've already introduced her into the story (I just gave away who she is, didn't I?). Grey I cannot happen, and you'll find out why later. And Green I I really have no idea what'd I'd do, but if you want it I'd be happy to think of something. **

**So please, cast your votes and help me decide what to do. If you don't want me to write any of these, then you can just vote for None. Your votes may or may not influence what I decide to do. But either way, I want to hear from you guys. **

**Whew, that was a long intro, thanks for bearing with me guys. Anyways, onto business, please enjoy (if you can read any more after this) Pink I chapter 4!**

* * *

"Hello to you too" I replied sarcastically.

"Oh," Estera said, changing moods, "Sorry, I was just so surprised is all"

I stood and looked around for a towel. There wasn't one nearby. My face was freezing cold from the water and dripped off my chin onto the ground.

"So how'd it happen then?" Estera asked.

"I'd prefer not to talk about it" I replied. My face began to ache again as I remembered the years I'd spent alone in agony. I saw the blood dripping off my body, and once again, the empty beds, only this time covered in blood.

I shook my head, clearing the memories.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Mrs. Rozovyy." Estera said, "Did I-?"

I cut her off, "Miss," I replied, "I'm not married"

"Oh, again, I'm so sorry." She apologized, "Did I stir up any memories?"

I shook my head before they could come back, "No," I replied, "I'm fine. Assuming that you didn't bring a towel?"

"No," Estera replied, "I didn't know what you were going to do, so I couldn't really prepare"

"Don't worry about it," I replied, "it'll probably be dry by the time we reach the house again"

We returned to the house after a few minutes without saying a word. I think that I had destroyed any happy mood that had once existed.

Sure enough, by the time we reached the house my face was already dry, but also much colder. Reaching my room, I stuffed my face into my pillow and laid there for a while. I heard the door open behind me.

"Oh Miss Rozovyy," Estera started, sitting down and patting my back, "are you alright? Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," I replied, my voice muffled through the pillow, "my face is just cold from the water"

"I'm sorry?" Estera asked, meaning that she wanted me to repeat myself.

I sat up, "My face is cold from the water" I replied.

"Oh," Estera said, "well, do you need anything to help speed the process?"

"No," I replied, "this pillow is actually very comfortable and warm. But thanks anyway"

"Alright." Estera replied, standing. She went to the doorway, but paused to say, "If you need anything else, just tell me or Des"

"I'll do just that," I replied, "thanks"

The door shut, and I stayed put. My face warmed up quickly after that, but I stayed where I was. It was very comfortable and soon I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

I awoke to a gentle prodding at my side.

"Wha-?" I said drowsily.

"That's quite the position you're in there" A man's voice, likely Des's, said.

I looked up. It felt awkward in my position. Turning around, I realized that I had fallen asleep with my face in my pillow and my rear end sticking up into the air. My legs were tucked up to my chest, and my arms lay at my side.

Immediately I bolted upright, realizing that Des must be able to see up my dress in a position like that.

"Breakfast's ready" He said nonchalantly, standing and leaving.

I paused for a moment, then stood and followed him out. He and Estera were already seated at the table.

"You're finally awake." Estera said, smiling, "Go ahead and sit down"

I sat down at their circular table. There were only three chairs there, and the table was relatively small. I assumed that they were the only ones living here.

"So do you have any children?" I asked as I served myself.

"No," Estera replied, "We tried for a while, but it didn't work out"

"I see" I replied, starting to eat.

"So where are you from Miss Rozovyy?" Des asked.

"You can just call me Nicole, thanks," I replied.

"Are you sure?" Des asked.

"Yes," I replied, "despite how I dress formalities aren't my thing"

"Alright then" Des replied.

"And I'm from Mistral." I replied, "I attended Haven academy there for four years before becoming a huntress and joining the Knight at Night guild"

"Wow," Estera gasped, "how long did you have to travel to get to us?"

"A little over a day." I replied, "I live in Vale now"

"Oh," Estera replied, "well, that makes a bit more sense"

"So if you're a huntress," Des started, "then you must have a weapon and semblance right?"

"Right" I replied.

"Do you think you could show us?" He asked.

"Dear," Estera started, hitting Des's arm lightly, "not at the table"

"Fine." Des replied, then turned to me, "later then?"

I focused on him, staring hard into his eyes. "Are you sure that you really want to see them?" I asked.

"No" Des replied.

"Well that was a quick change of heart" Estera said.

"It's actually my semblance." I replied, "I call it 'charm'. I can make anyone do whatever I want them to do, as long as they look at my eyes"

"Interesting" Des said.

"What kind of stuff have you used it for?" Estera asked.

"Mostly discounts when I don't have enough cash" I replied.

"Anything else?" Estera asked, her face starting to look sneakier, as if she was trying to imply something.

"Uh," I started, searching my brain for what she was trying to say. "Sorry, I don't know what you're implying"

"Did you use it to do anything naughty is what she's wondering" Des replied.

"What?!" I asked, shocked.

"Of course that's not what I'm asking, silly Des," she replied, "but did you?"

I sighed, "No," I replied, "I would never do something like that"

"Good to hear" Estera said.

"So how long have you guys known about the Fallen Dawn and their plans?" I asked.

"Too long," Estera replied, "believe it or not, they've attacked before, but the huntsmen and huntresses we hired were never enough. They would protect us long enough to get us to safety, but they'd always fall in the end"

"Well that's encouraging." I said, "But if they've attacked so many times already, then why'd it have to be 'foretold' like Timur said? Wouldn't it just be obvious?"

"Timur's just like that," Des cut in, "everything's always foretold. I think that's just his excuse for having a hunch about something so that he doesn't have to provide evidence"

"But he's always right, remember?" Estera pointed out.

"Usually" Des replied.

"Anyways," Estera started, "the hunters usually arrive just in time, so they're caught off guard"

As if on cue, a loud bell rang out, making me jump in my seat.

"Speak of the devil" Des said calmly.

"Just like every other time" Estera added.

"Is that an alarm then?" I asked.

"Yes." Des replied, standing, "Finish your breakfast if you can, we'll start getting everyone evacuated"

Just like that they were gone.

I stood, going to my room to retrieve my suitcases and heading outside. In the center of the village I saw them. A group of about ten men stood, their faces covered by black masks. They held weapons of all types. The village was bustling with people running and calling out, "Where is she?!" I assumed that they meant me.

I walked out and stood to face them. I stood several meters away and waited for a moment, collecting myself. None of them noticed that I had come out.

I drew Tina and took the first shot.

* * *

**So you may have hoped that I'd tell you all what was up with Nicole's face right? Haha, nope! You'll have to keep reading to find that out. But don't worry, it will come. **

**So yeah, that was the chapter. Its wrapping up quickly, as you can see. **

**And also, like what I said in my mega intro above, vote on the poll, or just write it in the review. Also, because of the voting, the next chapter will be out much later, because the next one will very likely be the last one. And after that, the next color would be Azure I, if anyone votes on it (or if I decide to). Plus I've been thinking if Green I doesn't happen then the green character will be introduced at the end of Pink I and provide an extra chapter. **

**Sorry that this is such short notice but it only just came to my attention. Anyways, I'll see you all in a few days for the possibly last chapter of Pink I!**


	13. Pink I Chapter 5

**Hello everyone and welcome back to Pink I! So as you can see I uploaded this quicker than I said I would. Why you ask? Well because no one voted on my poll and only one person voted through reviews. Plus when I wrote that super long intro in the last chapter I had already come to a conclusion, but I was curious as to what you guys wanted. So basically that long intro was mostly pointless. Also, I don't think that I made this clear, but you could have voted for as many of the colors as you wanted to. **

**So yeah, I made my decision. White I will not be the last color before Crimson II. **

**Anyways, this is the last chapter of Pink I, so let's not waste any more time, as this one is very long. Here it is, the final chapter of Pink I!**

* * *

The bullet shook the air, silencing the entire village. The masked men turned around, but one didn't turn. He dropped dead to the ground. Each one drew a weapon, mostly spears and swords, nothing special like what I had made.

I drew Tina in close, spun the cylinder, aimed, and fired several more rounds. Because it was a dust vial weapon, by spinning the cylinder I fired several different types of dust rounds after each other. More men fell, and I quickly realized that there were many more men than I had initially seen.

Finally one charged, accompanied by two others just behind him. I stayed where I was, not leaving my suitcases unmanned. I brought up Tina, deflecting the first man's blade with my own. As the two other men approached I pushed the first back with my blade and sliced open his gut. He stumbled backwards, only to be pushed aside by the other two. They ran in a line, so I stabbed the first one, then quickly fired a few rounds. The bullets broke through the first man in the line and hit the second one, killing them both.

The first man with the scar across his gut struggled to stand, but he was bleeding heavily. _Might as well take him out of his misery_, I thought, shooting him in the head.

Looking up, I saw the rest of the men charging towards me. There were probably about fifteen to twenty, but I assumed that there would be more.

_Tina can't handle this many people,_ I thought, _I guess that I'll have to pull out the big guns. _

Strapping Tina back into place, I grabbed my suitcases and leapt up into the roof of one of the buildings. The men gathered around, yelling death threats at me.

I held up both my suitcases next to each other. On one of them had a thick screw sticking out from the lower side. On the other was a hole for it to screw into. I stuck them together, spun one around until it was stuck firmly in place, and opened both cases at the same time. What came out was my primary weapon, or weapons, Sherry and Candace. However, I had combined them and they were therefore Shared Candy (I came up with the name myself and I'm quite proud of it). Sherry was a thick sword, with a machine gun barrel that could extend out from the straight dull edge of the blade. A belt of bullets could then be attached to the barrel. The handle of the blade extended and a handle and trigger could flip out to allow me to fire the gun.

Candace on the other hand, was a long lance. The blade at the end could retract into itself to reveal a gun barrel. A long magazine was placed just next to the blade, a little farther down the pole of the lance. It started out (in lance form) at the mid-way point of the magazine, but when it transformed into a gun slid down so that it could fire bullets from the top of the clip. On top of that, the bottom end of the pole of the lance shrunk inwards and bent to make it easier to hold, like an actual gun.

These two weapons were screwed together at either end, making for an almost unstoppable duo.

I held the lance pole and readied for action. Sure enough, men began climbing the house to the rooftop to join me. I held Shared Candy above my head and spun it around, dipping it down and catching the top of the first man's head. He fell off the house, bleeding as he went. More men started to climb. Grabbing my now mostly empty suitcases (other than the extra clothing that I'd brought) I threw them into the house below me, which was where I was staying, for safekeeping. I then began to leap from rooftop to rooftop until I could find solid high ground to attack from. Some men followed me across the roofs, but most stayed on the ground and ran after me.

Realizing how small the village was and how unlikely it was that I could find solid high ground, I returning to the ground and waited for the men to arrive. Most had fallen to the ground by now and were charging towards me.

As I saw them arrive I took up a battle stance, holding Shared Candy by the lance in a position that allowed me to quickly swing it. When the men finally came close enough I swung, the thick blade of Sherry cutting the first line down. The men hesitated, and I cut them down with another swipe of Sherry. Spinning it around and catching several people over the head, I stabbed Candace forward, severing even more people on it. Transforming it into a gun while lodged in their bodies, I pulled the trigger, launching them off.

I spun Shared Candy around again, this time with Sherry facing the crowd. The gun barrel popped out, and I stuck a bullet belt into it (I had them hidden between my vest and dress, the vest which stretched out over the dress). I started to fire, but someone leapt at me from the rooftops. Reacting as quickly as I could, I spun Shared Candy over my head, slashing him out of the air and causing several bullets to fly into the air as I did so. I spun Shared Candy around, launching bullets at the crowd and slashing their chests open.

Finally they began to retreat, and my adrenaline started to go away. Then suddenly I felt a presence behind me. Spinning around and dodging as I did so, I barely avoided a blow to the back from a large sword. The man holding it wore a mask, but his mask had special designs on it. _Assuming that he's the leader_, I thought.

The man spread his arms apart, "Let's talk this over, shall we?" He suggested.

I kept my weapon pointed at him, not saying a word.

"Can't we be civilized here?" He asked, "Lower your weapon"

"Drop yours" I quickly said. Something that I had learned from experience was not to waste breath on anything in a fight, even trash talking or even talking in general.

"I will when you will" The man replied.

"Then we've hit a wall, haven't we?" I asked.

The man sighed, then stabbed his sword into the ground beside him. I fired a bullet at it, causing it to fall over. It'd make it more difficult for him to pick it up if he tried to spring an attack.

I lifted my weapon, putting one end into the ground and holding it as if it were a staff.

"I dropped mine," the man said, "now you drop yours"

"You're the one who wants to negotiate," I replied, "I'm perfectly fine going down the path I've already started on"

"Well," the man started, "lots of innocent people are dying because of this path you've chosen" His voice was vaguely familiar.

"Then maybe you shouldn't have set them on me," I replied, "besides, I've been told that you've been here before and taken more lives. I wouldn't call them innocent"

"Good point," The man replied, "but now, let's talk business"

"We already are" I pointed out.

"Right" the man replied awkwardly.

There was a brief silence.

"So what will you offer me in return for us leaving?" The leader asked.

"Your lives" I replied.

"Surely you must have something else?" He asked.

"I can keep killing them if we can't settle on anything"

"Why are you so nonchalant about all this?"

"Because it's a simple matter"

"It's a matter of people's lives!"

"Then take me up on my deal and live"

The leader sighed, rubbing his forehead. I saw his eyes go behind me, and he blinked twice.

I spun around, swinging Shared Candy as I went. The masked man behind me split into two pieces. As I turned back around the leader had his blade back in his hand.

"Your clever one" He said, pointing his blade towards me, then charging.

I ducked and swung, slicing a scar through his face and avoiding his attack.

He fell screaming to the ground. I stood, turning around to face him. He staggered up, his mask cut open. He tore it off, revealing his face.

It was Timur.

* * *

"What are you doing?!" I asked, very surprised but getting over it quickly. I was in the middle of a battle. "Was this set-up or something?"

"Yes." Timur replied, smiling through his bloody scar, "We're all Grimm worshippers. We lure hunters here and kill them"

"That's extremely inefficient" I pointed out.

"Pardon?" Timur asked.

"Well," I started, "your sacrificing loads of your men in order to kill one hunter. And it probably takes a while to get each hunter here so…you really didn't make a smart move there"

"Shut up!" He yelled, "We have no other option! No way of doing what's right!"

I didn't hesitate; I lifted my weapon and swung. He jumped back, avoiding the blow.

"There's a reason why we exist." I started, "The Grimm kill people. How could you worship that?"

"The Grimm are punishing us for our acts against nature! You city folk can never understand!"

"Oh I understand alright" I started towards him, and he started backing away.

"Let's not be too hasty" he whispered.

"I've already waited long enough" I replied, raising Shared Candy above my head, poising it to stab him. Finally, I stabbed it forward.

Just as it almost reached him I felt a sudden pain overwhelm me. My focus stopped abruptly, and my weapon fell from my hand. Thanks to the momentum that I'd already built up, it stabbed into Timur, lower than I had planned, but still into him nonetheless. The pain shot through me again, and I fell to my knees. Timur lay on his side, bleeding out. I was almost certain that he was dead and if not, he soon would be.

The pain came again, and I realized where it was coming from: my heart. My adrenaline had built up too much, and therefore I was having what I believed to be a heart attack. I couldn't stand, and I sat panting where I was. I was ripe for the taking. Sure enough, someone came along and stabbed me in the back. I felt even more searing pain, and then collapsed.

* * *

I awoke later, lying on what I believed to be a bed. I felt a pillow beneath my head, but I could barely open my eyes. When I did my vision was so blurry that it would have been just as good closing them. As it cleared I heard a voice.

"Oh," it said, "your awake" It was a man's, and it sounded familiar.

I tried to sit up, but pain shot through my body from my gut.

"Lie down" the man said, gently pushing me back by the shoulders.

"Where…am I?" I stammered.

"You're in our house." The voice replied, "It's Des"

I struggled to remember who he was. When I remembered I asked, "Where's Estera?"

"Right next to you" Des replied.

I turned and saw Estera lying on a bed similar to mine. She looked very dead.

"What happened?" I whispered, still finding it difficult to use my voice.

"I don't know," Des replied, "she got caught up in all the action I guess"

My memory began to return, "Why are you helping me?" I asked. The whole village was made up of Grimm worshippers who wanted to kill me, so I was very confused.

"Unlike everyone else here, Estera and I moved here. We aren't Grimm worshippers. We just like the people, not the beliefs." He replied. "The other huntsmen and huntresses rarely died either; typically we got to them first, nursed them back to health, and sent them on their way"

"How long have I been out?" I was feeling my voice better now.

"A couple of days." Des replied, "Also, you may notice that something is different"

"What's that?" I asked.

"Your heart" he replied.

I looked up at my chest. My dress had been removed, and I was covered only by a blanket. Slowly and painfully, I lifted the blanket and saw it. Between my breasts was a line of stitches.

"What happened?" I asked, sitting up suddenly, then immediately regretting it as pain tore through my gut again.

"Lie down." Des repeated, taking my shoulder and pushing me back. "It's Estera's. I found her as she was dying and she told me to give you her heart. So good news, you don't have heart problems anymore"

"But Estera died for it?" I asked.

"No," Des replied, "it was her last wish, and she was already dying. Don't worry about it, it's what she wanted"

There was a moment of silence as I looked at my chest, then at Estera.

"Also," Des started, "I saw the scars"

My eyes went to him, and we stared at each other for a while. He started to ask something, but I quickly changed the subject. "So when will my gut heal?" I asked.

"The pain should go away soon, but the actual scar will probably be with you for the rest of your life" He replied, awkwardly stopping what he was about to say.

"I see" I replied.

The room fell silent, and soon I fell back asleep.

* * *

I awoke shaking and looked up, my eyes drowsy with sleep. "Wha-?" I asked.

Des was shaking me awake, "Stand up" He said.

"Why?" I asked. Either he was whispering or my hearing wasn't fully turned on yet.

"The new leader of the village, Marco, is coming soon" He replied. I assumed that meant that I had killed Timur.

I realized the seriousness and sat up. My gut still hurt, but it was bearable.

"I found you some clothes," He started, "they aren't yours but they're darker so they shouldn't be as easy to spot. I'll turn around while you change"

He turned around as I got out of bed. When the tension was relieved from sitting down, my gut hurt less and I was able to slip into the clothing that Des had set out for me. It was a long-sleeved brown shirt and a thick brown jacket and faded, worn blue jeans. On top of that there were small boots. The clothing was big on me, but that was to be expected. I found my suitcases along with Shared Candy and Tina laid down beside the clothes.

"I couldn't figure out how to retract your weapon." Des said, still turned around. "Are you done?"

"Yep." I replied, opening my suitcases.

He turned around, "It sure is a beauty though" He added, referring to Shared Candy.

"Thanks." I replied, separating them and retracting Candace, my lance, first. "I made them myself"

"Really?" Des replied, "I can't imagine a frail looking girl like you forging anything"

"Frail?" I asked, fitting Candace into place and shutting the suitcase.

"You look frail," Des started, "but you clearly aren't"

I pulled Sherry's, the sword's, bullet belt out and checked it over. It still had enough bullets left so I found a place to put it in my coat and left it there. I retracted the gun barrel back into the blade and placed it inside the suitcase. I then closed it; set them both up nicely next to each other, put Tina in my coat with the bullet belt, and stood up.

I turned to face Des. Holding out my hand, I said, "It was a pleasure meeting you"

He shook my hand, "As it was to you" He replied. Then he reached out to me. He tucked my pink hair into the back of my coat, which was now out straight instead of in ponytails, and pulled my hood over my head. "Anyone would be able to spot your hair from a mile away" He added.

"Thanks," I replied, "should I return these clothes to you later?"

"No," he replied, "keep them. Dye them pink or red or something. Use them. Consider it a gift"

"Thanks," I replied, "but what are you going to do now?"

"I'll stay here," he replied, "and continue to look after the hunters that come through. But do me a favor, and don't allow that defense job to be hung up in your guild ever again, okay?"

I nodded.

He reached into his pockets and pulled out a wrapped up wad of Lien, "This is for you as well," he replied, "the pay for this job"

I had almost forgotten about the money. "You'll be alright without it?" I asked.

"It's not mine" He replied, then winked. I assumed that he had stolen it, likely from Timur, who was probably the richest person in the village.

I put it into the inside pocket of my jacket, making sure it was secure. "Thanks again" I said.

There was a loud knock on the door. "Open up!" A voice yelled.

Des quickly pushed me back, "Quickly now," he started, "go to your room. Underneath the mattress you'll find a trapdoor. Open it and head through. It'll take you just outside the village"

"Open up or we're breaking down the door!" the voice boomed outside again.

"There's no time." Des whispered, "Go"

I turned and ran to the room that I had once stayed in. Grabbing my suitcases as I went, I lifted the mattress and opened the trapdoor.

"I'm on my way!" Des called, heading towards the door.

I got down into the narrow tunnel and shut the trapdoor above me. As I started moving I could hear more clearly what was going on outside.

"What were you doing in there?" A voice asked.

"Just finishing with a patient" He replied. Estera. He was using Estera as a cover-up. _Clever_, I thought, staying to hear more.

"Oh yeah?" The voice asked. "Who were you talking to?"

"No one," Des replied, "I talk to myself when I work. It helps me think"

"I don't believe you" the voice said.

"Please sir," Des sounded like he was begging, "my patient is dying. I need to get back to her quickly"

Estera was already dead. Again, very clever.

"I don't see no permit for you running your hospital in here" The voice said.

"I don't have a permit," Des started, "but I-"

He was abruptly cut off by a loud gunshot.

I gasped from where I was below, then quickly reached up to cover my mouth.

As Des fell to the ground I heard one last pained word fall from his lips.

"Run"

* * *

**Did you guys see that? Another color ended with a cliffhanger! Yay! Although with this one it's easy to assume that Nicole got away. Its not as open-ended as Crimson I's ending. So yeah, that was it. As usual, favorite, follow, tell your friends, tell your enemies, and write why you loved or hated it or what speculations you have in the reviews. Its all very much appreciated. **

**I won't tell you my plans for the next color until I start it, so you'll have to wait until after my extended break, as this is the end of a color perspective, and I still have that other book to work on.**

**Well that's that. Hope you enjoyed it and hopefully I will see you all back for Azure I!**


	14. Azure I Chapter 1

**Hello again everyone! Sorry for this chapter being so late, I was aiming to finish two chapters of Azure I and two chapters of my other story. I only ended up finishing one chapter of my other story so this chapter came later than usual. **

**Anyways, so Azure I had finally started, and that's what matters. This one is going to be much, much shorter than the previous colors, and I've already finished it. **

**Also, this chapter will feature the first appearance of a character from the actual show!**

**So here's the first chapter of Azure I. Enjoy!**

* * *

I burst through my front door, waving a golden certificate around. I guess it must have been pretty surprising because my mother jumped and spun around.

"Azure!" She yelled, "What happened?"

I charged into the kitchen where she was busy cooking. I stuck the certificate into her face, the light reflecting off of it and blinding her.

"I got accepted into Beacon!" I cried out in joy.

"Well it's no surprise," Mother pointed out, "is it?"

"Well yeah," I replied, "but it's still so exciting!"

"When do you need to head out?" Mother asked.

I glanced behind her. Black smoke began rising steadily from the pan on the stove.

"Azure?" Mother asked.

I snapped back to attention, "Today" I replied.

"What?!" Mother gasped, the black smoke behind her thickening.

"Don't worry," I said, waving my hand like I was waving away her statement, "Scarlet's picking me up"

"Oh okay," Mother sighed in relief, "well pack your things and get moving" The black smoke flared into a fire and caught her hair. She didn't even notice

A few minutes later I stood in my driveway, my bags by my side, waiting for Scarlet's car to pull up. Sure enough, it pulled up just a few minutes late.

I got into the car and stayed silent for the majority of the time. Scarlet wasn't much of a talker, plus I think that he was disappointed that he was only dropping me off at Beacon and not both of us.

We reached the airship station about an hour later. Scarlet pulled up in front of the entrance. Getting out, I turned to him and waved, "Good luck in Haven!" I said cheerfully, pulling the last of my baggage out. I was hoping to cheer him up slightly. It didn't seem to work.

He paused, "Thanks," he said, "you too" Then he was gone.

I sighed, irritated. Turning around, I faced the station and headed inside. I kept my Beacon certificate handy, just in case.

"Hello, how may I help you today?" One of the holographic receptionists asked me.

"I'm on my way to Beacon Academy" I replied.

"I see," she said, "may I scan your scroll?"

I pulled out my scroll and held it out, allowing the machine to scan it.

"Right," she said, "thank you Miss Blaze, and have a nice trip"

I walked past her, following the holographic arrows that eventually lead me to an airship. Getting on, I sat down and waited. My baggage was securely closed up below the ship, to be returned to me after the flight.

Several other young people stepped on, all sporting different colors and weapons. I was shaking in my seat with excitement.

The airship lifted into the air and started flying. Everyone gathered in groups, chatting amongst themselves. I felt somewhat left out, as I wasn't going with any friends. If only Scarlet had made it in.

I stood to observe the view. We passed over the city relatively slowly, or at least it felt slow.

Someone came to stand next to me. I glanced over. He looked like an average punk. He had a dark orange spiked mohawk, the sides shaved almost completely off. He had a thin orange mustache and a small chin-beard. His head was tall and thin, and his skin was tan. His eyes were narrow and purple. He wore a light purple collared shirt that was unbuttoned down to about the halfway point of his front, revealing an orange shirt underneath. On top of that he wore a thick brown jacket, with an orange interior. He wore dark blue jeans and a brown belt, which was mostly covered by his jacket. A handle seemed to poke out from under the back of his jacket.

As I squinted at the handle I leaned back.

"You checking me out?" He asked.

I straightened, noticing all of a sudden that his ears had two piercings each. "Oh no," I replied, "I was just curious about that handle there"

"It's my weapon," he replied, "Eternal Punishment. I'd show it to you but we're not allowed to draw weapons on the airship"

"What kind of weapon is it?" I asked.

"That I just don't want to tell you" He replied.

I smiled, then turned back to the window.

"So where are you from?" He asked.

"Vale," I replied, "Nowhere far away or anything. You?"

"Mistral." He replied, "I wasn't accepted into Haven, so I made the trip here"

"Interesting," I said, "my friend from Vale went to Haven"

"Maybe we switched places?" The boy suggested.

The thought crossed my mind, and I actually felt sad for a moment. Why couldn't this guy go to Haven and Scarlet come with me to Beacon? I cleared the idea from my head; this boy was probably just more qualified for Beacon as it is known as a top-notch school. Surely it needs top-notch students.

"I'm Nello, by the way" The boy said, holding out his hand, "Nello Flecker"

I took his hand, "Azure Blaze" I replied, shaking his hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you" He said, raising my hand to his lips. On instinct I yanked it away.

"Sorry." I said. "What were you doing?"

"It's an old formality," Nello replied, "and most people would have reacted similarly to you"

"Then why do you do it, if you don't mind my asking?" I asked.

Nello shrugged, "I'm just like that" he replied.

There was a brief pause.

"So what's your weapon?" Nello asked.

"Cratorus." I replied, "And I'd tell you what it is but I don't want to"

He smiled slightly.

"So do you know anyone else who's coming here?" I asked him.

"Nah," he replied, "most of my friends want to be something stupid like a teacher or engineer"

"Well," I started, "they probably just don't want to risk their those are some pretty good-paying jobs"

"True" Nello replied.

"_Attention all students, we will be arriving at Beacon Academy shortly_" The speaker said.

"Well maybe I'll see you around" I said.

"I hope so too" Nello said, heading towards the exit ramp.

There was a group of people grouped up near the exit now. A pair of rabbit ears poked up out of the crowd. I laughed to myself, not that I thought Faunus to be odd, I was a fox Faunus myself, with a pair of tall brown ears placed atop my head. The rabbit ears just looked kind of silly poking out of the crowd like that.

Then the doors slid open.

* * *

**So there it is. Congratulations, your already halfway through Azure I! That's right, its only two chapters long. Azure's story isn't particularly long, unlike most of the other colors. **

**Also, did you catch the RWBY character? If you didn't, its Scarlet. He's the S in team SSSN (Sun's team). **

**I'll probably upload the next chapter today or tomorrow-ish, just because of how late this one was. **

**Anyways, as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't, I don't control you so do whatever. And hopefully, I'll see you all in the next chapter.**


	15. Azure I Chapter 2

In stood atop the cliffs overlooking Emerald Forest. Just yesterday I had arrived at Beacon Academy, and now came to time to determine what our teams would be.

As Ozpin told us what to do I looked down at myself. My sneakered feet stood atop a launching pad. I wore faded rolled up blue jeans. One pant leg was rolled up to my knee, while the other was halfway past my shin.

I wore my usual long-sleeved grey shirt. My left sleeve was missing, and that side of the shirt hung by my breasts. I wore a dark blue strapped top underneath to avoid showing any unnecessary skin. My entire left arm and shoulder did show, however. My other arm was covered by a baggy grey sleeve.

My azure hair (hence my name) was tied back in a ponytail. My long bangs hung down by either side of my face, and shorter ones went across my forehead.

After Ozpin finished his explanation of the team system, which to me seemed very questionable, as well as our objective, he began launching us off one by one.

I was one of the first to be launched.

I flew over Emerald Forest, watching the green trees fly by beside me. I reached back to my weapon, which hung just under my back.

I held it close, waiting for the right moment. As I dipped down and began to fly through the forest, I raised Cratorus and readied it. Cratorus was a duel-ended, extending spear. The long handle was red and both spear tips were gold.

The spear extended and I threw it, planting it into the trunk of a thick tree. As I neared the tree, I adjusted myself so as not to sever myself on the spear and caught it. My feet slammed against the tree truck, and I steadied myself by hanging onto Cratorus.

Pulling it out from the trunk I dropped down to the forest ground and started forward. _It doesn't pay to look good,_ I thought, referring to my landing, _at least not in this job_.

I jogged through the forest to preserve my energy, wondering what would happen if I never found a partner. However, that thought was quickly silenced.

"Oh hello" I said, skidding to a halt before someone.

He turned around. He had pale green curly hair and dark green cat-like eyes. He wore a pale green collared shirt that was buttoned all the way up to his neck. Tucked into the front of his collar was a white cloth of some kind. The front of his shirt had two handles of some sort, both right next to each other. They held a small metal blade weapon, which was a haladie, only the haladie had four sharp points sticking out of it, two on each end, instead of just one on each side. The handles on his shirt held the weapon's handle. Overtop he wore a black vest that was covered in pockets. On his legs were black sweat pants with a white straight line on either side of them. On his feet he wore large boots with tall soles.

"'Morning" He replied.

"So I guess we're partners then" I said.

"Looks that way." He replied, "I'm Xeyrus"

"Azure" I replied, holding out my hand to shake his. He didn't take it, so I slowly lowered it back to my side..

"Let's keep moving" He said, almost robotically.

"Alright" I replied, still recovering from the awkwardness of our greeting.

All of a sudden the bushes shook. We froze in place, and they fell silent. All of a sudden the bushes exploded with Grimm. Four Beowulves, two of which were babies, and a fully grown Ursa now stood before us.

"I'll take the Ursa" Xeyrus said, taking up a battle stance with his right knee bent and raised.

"Right" I replied, drawing Cratorus and extending it.

I charged towards the first baby Beowulf right away. Going for the older, stronger ones first would leave the babies to be annoying distractions while fighting the stronger ones. They needed to be killed first.

The Beowulves charged at me. I brought up Cratorus, stabbing the first baby Grimm through the neck. Blood poured as I tore it from its neck and kicked it back. I spun around, swinging Cratorus and catching one of the adults over the snout. It staggered backwards, leaving the second baby open. I slashed at it several times, eventually severing its head. Cratorus wasn't bladed, so cutting through something takes much more time.

I leapt over its body as one adult Beowulf took a swipe at me. I stabbed Cratorus downward, hitting the Beowulf's head and pushing myself upwards even higher. I landed behind them, stabbing straight through the first one. Its body began to disappear from the center where I'd stabbed it. As the body fell to the ground I saw Xeyrus engaging with the Ursa.

He still stood in the same stance. Then, in the blink of an eye fired a large explosion from his shoe, hitting the Ursa in the gut. Recovering, the Ursa charged, aggravated now. Xeyrus brought up his foot again, then fired off another round as the bear swiped at him. The recoil of the shot propelled him backwards, causing him to fly into a backflip. He landed holding two of the weapons he had on his front. I assumed that one was on his back as well. He had moved so fast, I couldn't figure out when he had drawn his weapons.

"Look out!" He called without turning.

I spun around. The last Beowulf was already upon me. I threw myself back, sliding along the grassy ground and narrowly avoiding the wolf.

"Never turn your back on your opponent!" Xeyrus called, before releasing a flurry of attacks onto the Ursa's front.

I turned back to the Beowulf, who was already charging towards me again. I took a step back, holding Cratorus back behind my head. Finding the opportune moment, I threw the spear and dodged to the side at the same time. The Beowulf ran straight into the spear. It let out a cry that was quickly silenced as it slid along the ground and slammed into a nearby tree.

Pulling Cratorus from the Beowulf and turning around, I saw Xeyrus finish with the Ursa.

He approached me and stuck a raised finger into my face, "Ever" He said, adding onto his statement from earlier.

"Right, got it" I replied, starting to retract Cratorus. Just then I heard heavy footsteps behind me. Spinning around I found myself face-to-face with an Ursa, this one much older and bigger than the one Xeyrus had killed. It swung its claw, too fast for me to react to. I tried, and suffered three deep scars across my face.

I fell to the ground, dropping Cratorus, and leaving a trail of blood in the air.

"Xeyrus!" I called, turning from where I was on the ground. He stood for a moment, not moving. I blinked, and he disappeared. "Xeyrus?" I asked, feeling myself starting to cry.

All of a sudden searing pain shot through my leg. I gulped, glancing backwards. The Ursa had stuck its claws into my legs, creating a bloody wound. _No, no, no,_ I thought, _don't do this!_

The Ursa tore off my leg, and I screamed in pain. Sweat dripped off my face and into my bloody scars, making them sting immensely. I heard the crunch of bones and the slosh of flesh being devoured, but I didn't dare turn around.

My vision was fading, and I reached out for Cratorus. _This isn't how it's going to end!_ I decided in my mind. I reached out to the spear, which was now extended and retracted in random places. I couldn't reach it.

Searing pain shot through my remaining leg, and my hand froze. I clenched my teeth, trying to resist screaming. The Ursa tore off my last leg, and sure enough, I screamed just as loud as before.

My vision darkened, and all strength in my arm faded as I reached for Cratorus.

_This can't be the end_, I thought, _it can't be._ I feared that it was however; as I felt my blood spilling out all over the ground by the Ursa's feet. In one final attempt I opened my eyes as much as I could and reached out, only to realize that there was never any possibility of me reaching Cratorus in the first place.

My consciousness began to slip away as the blood drained from my body, and only one thought passed through my mind:

_Is this really what I signed up for?_


	16. White I Chapter 1

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall. See? I told you that this wait would be shorter. It didn't take me long to figure out what to do for White I, so I started early. I'm almost done it actually. It'll probably be about three chapters, so prepare yourself for another shorty. **

**Also, recently I've noticed that the views for Azure I weren't very high. Are you guys losing interest? Should I make it more exciting in some way? Its not a big deal but I just felt like telling you guys that. Either way, those of you have have stuck with the story, thank you very much. Your continued reviews and views are very encouraging. **

**So just so you know White I fast-forwards back to the time of Crimson I and Pink I. Remember that Azure I was five to six years before those two, and this is back up around the same time. None of these are happening at the exact same time, but maybe a few months to a year apart. Either way, it all comes together in the end so the timeline isn't particularly important. **

**Anyways, I've wasted enough of you lovely people's time, so let's get this show on the road. Presenting, White I!**

* * *

A phone rang a few feet from where I sat. Someone picked it up and spoke into it, greeting the person on the other side formally. I sat at my desk, flipping through some files and transferring the information to my computer. Here in the office we worked both traditionally and modernly. Typically it was really just to give me something to do. Half the day was spent not doing anything, a quarter was spent socializing over lunch or at any time during the day, and the last quarter was spent working. Transferring information gave us something to do, despite how boring it was. Faust, the oldest man working in the office had apparently written a few best-selling novels while working here. He was very efficient and quick while he worked.

I adjusted my black-framed square glasses. The edges were rounded, so I looked less robotic than I was really was.

"Hey Martial!" Hania called from across the room.

I glanced up. My name wasn't Martial, if it was it would be spelled Marshall, as that was the normal way to spell the name. Martial was just my office nickname. Everyone calls me that because of all the martial arts that I can do. Actually, Faust is the only person who knows my real name, as he has worked at the office for so long. But no one else knows it.

"Excuse me everyone!" Naldo, our manager called, turning away from the fax machine, "Does anyone know if a Wintanweorth Coal works here?"

Not even my boss knows it.

I raised my hand lazily, "That's me" I replied.

"Oh Martial," Naldo said, "Yes, can you find Wintanweorth and give it to him?"

I sighed and took the fax, nodding. Naldo was pretty dumb, but if anyone ever said it, there'd be consequences. He was pretty proud of his false intelligence.

Naldo returned to his office and Hania made her way to my desk.

"Who's Wintanweorth by the way?" She asked me.

Hania was kind of dumb too. In fact, everyone in the office was pretty dumb. They were all very young, except Faust, who was very old and wise. But people like Hania were proud like Naldo, and didn't take the news of their stupidity very well.

"He works here," I said, "but he's on an eternal sick leave"

"Oh," Hania moaned, "tough luck eh?"

I nodded, "Yeah" I replied. Normally someone would have laughed at someone like her, but I had worked in the office more than everyone except Faust. It sounded weird to admit, but I am the second oldest person in the office, yet I'm not even half Faust's age.

"What do you need?" I asked Hania, getting back on track.

She handed me a few sheets of paper, "Could you enter these in for me?" She asked.

"Sure" I replied, sighing and adding her papers to my file. This was her job, but I was the fastest at typing in the office, and Hania actually had a decent amount of work to do. She could probably finish it all in half a day's work, but she's incredibly slow.

She smiled, "Thanks" She said, before turning and leaving.

I continued working and finished everything by lunchtime. When Naldo left his office to eat, that was our cue. Most people here didn't have a watch or any way of telling the time, as they couldn't read the time from the analog clock on the wall. We all got up and followed him to the work kitchen; where we grabbed our stored lunches from the work refrigerator and sat down to eat.

"Hey Martial," Hania came and sat down at the table with me.

"Hey Hania" I said over a bite of sandwich.

"So are you free tonight?" She asked.

"I believe so" I replied, feeling somewhat confused.

"Great!" She exclaimed happily, "We should bring Wintanweorth the hospital and see if that will help him"

I sighed heavily. She had asked me to do the same thing multiple times recently. I had tried to tell her my real name, but she never believed that someone "as short as me" could have such a long name. I found it interesting that she said that, especially when I was at least a foot taller than her.

"Sorry," I replied, "I just remembered that I'm busy tonight. I've had some extra work to do recently and should probably work on it tonight"

"Oh," Hania said, "okay"

I didn't have any extra work. It was likely that I'd spend the rest of the day playing games on my computer.

There was an awkward silence as we ate.

"So do you think that Wintanweorth will ever return?" Hania asked.

I stared at her for a long minute, then turned back to my food. "He doesn't exist" I said.

"What?" Hania asked, "Then how'd he get faxed?"

"He used to work here," I replied over my food, "but then he died in a horrible accident here, and now his ghost still haunts the office"

Hania stared at me wide-eyed, as if I were telling her a new story. She'd worked here for about a year and I'd told her the same ghost story probably about once or twice a month.

"What did the fax say?" She asked me.

"What?" I asked, confused for a second.

"The fax that he sent you" She replied.

"Oh yeah," I said, "I haven't looked at it yet. The news is probably traumatizing or something, and I can't afford to be traumatized when I have so much work to do"

It took Hania a while to process it, "Your joking right?" She asked, smiling.

"Yes I am" I replied.

We ate for a little while longer.

"So who is Wintanweorth?" She asked.

I swallowed my sandwich, resisting the urge to hit the table with my fist. I unclenched my fist, and rested my hand as gently as I could on the edge of the table. "I am" I replied, trying not to sound angry. I was feeling quite fed up with everyone's stupidity at this point.

"But how could you be?" Hania asked, "He's on an eternal sick leave and your right here"

I sighed.

* * *

**So yeah, there are a lot of dumb people in Remnant too apparently. **

**Anyways, that was the first installment of White I. We're almost done with the introductions, over halfway. **

**Also, I've been meaning to ask you guys this, and I'll probably ask you in the coming colors as well: What do you guys think of the switching between perspectives thing? It hasn't gotten too chaotic yet (it probably will later), but I just want to hear your thoughts. Love it? Like it? Hate it? And why, if you can. Please tell me in the reviews. And actually, I'd like to hear from everyone reading this. If you've checked my profile then you know that I plan to write more fanfiction than this, and I want to know whether or not this is a good thing to keep doing. HellFall will definitely continue this way, but before I come up with too many ideas for my other stories, I'd just like to know if its good or bad. Once again, if you are reading this, please, please tell me what you think in the reviews. **

**Which brings us to the end. Thanks for reading everyone and as usual favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell you enemies, or don't. And hopefully, I will see you all in the next chapter.**


	17. White I Chapter 2

**Hello again everyone! Welcome back to White I.**

**Hopefully by now you've all noticed the new cover art. I'm quite proud of it, even though it didn't take me too long. I've never really done graphic art, so I thought I'd give it a try. And for those of you who can do graphic art I bet your all laughing at me right now because you've noticed that I made it in Paint. I've never done graphic art anywhere except there, so I have no idea how to use the higher-end stuff. But either way I think it turned out alright. Also, something you may notice is the title, where each letter is a different color. Those are the colors of each of the eight major characters, so if you didn't know what they were already, you do now.**

**Also, recently I've been thinking about the other story I've been writing (I've mentioned it a few times here) and for personal reasons I've decided to stop writing it, at least for the time being. The story has reached the 'point of no return', meaning that I can no longer go back and correct any of the stuff in it. Does this affect you? Yes. It means that I'll write fanfiction more often and that the gaps between each color will diminish significantly. I'll still need time to think about each new color though.**

**So I think that that's all the new stuff. Anyways, White I's almost over, blah blah blah, all that usual stuff. After this there'll be one more chapter, then its on to the next color.**

**For now, enjoy the new chapter!**

* * *

I returned to my desk soon afterwards to avoid losing any more hope in humanity. Sitting down, I started up a card game with someone else online. As it loaded, I looked to the corner of my desk and saw the fax from the morning. _Oh right,_ I thought, _the fax_. Picking it up, I began to read it.

I was surprised to find it not written in English, but another language entirely. It was in Nalakian. Nalakian was the language that the people of Nalak spoke, and it was a tribe of people who lived apart from the kingdoms. They were some of the few people groups in Remnant who could survive outside of a kingdom.

I was a Nalakian.

Emphasis on the _was_ part. I left the village some time ago to pursue a life in the city. Turns out the city life isn't how I thought it would be, but it was much better than village life.

I could still fluently speak Nalakian. Reading it was a bit more difficult. As I started to read the fax the card game loaded on my computer and I looked up. I almost put the fax aside and started playing but I was curious, so I read the fax. As I read the language came back to me, and my understanding of what it said increased.

It was from my mother, and she wanted to see me. Or at least that's what she said at first, but later on in the letter she said the village needed more wood-cutting axes.

I sighed. I was the blacksmith in the town for a while, inheriting the job from my father. When I left it passed on to my younger brother. I guess that he either gave up or wasn't good enough to make a good axe.

I slid it into my suitcase and played the card game. But I was still distracted by the letter, so I lost several games.

Leaning back in my chair, I pulled out the fax again and reread it. Nothing new popped up. My mother wanted to see me and wanted a few axes while I was at it. She had never sent me a fax, or even a message of any kind. The people of Nalak weren't exposed to too much technology, so she must have had to go to the city to send this.

I decided to go. Obviously she had gone to great trouble to send this note.

Replacing the fax in my small suitcase and straightening my bow tie, I returned to the card game.

I still lost them due to the distractions of the message, but it was easier for me to play and eventually I pulled out a win. Losing the next game, I leaned back in my chair, sighing.

"What's wrong with you?" Someone asked over my shoulder. I turned. It was Faust.

"Hey Faust" I said.

"How can you're ratings drop so much all of a sudden?" He asked, "I thought that you were good"

"I've just got something on my mind" I replied.

"Then don't play," he said, "or your ratings will drop"

"I know," I said, "I just don't know what else to do"

Faust paused, "I can show you another game" He said.

"No Faust," I started, "I will not play one of your shooting games"

"Those are fun though," He replied, "but that's not what I was talking about"

I turned in my chair to face him, interested. A new game in the office would mean something more to do. Frankly, poker, go fish, and solitaire got old very fast. The game he told me about was one that'd I'd never heard of, but decided to try right away.

Faust patted my white-haired head, "I think that you'll like it" He said, leaving.

I reached up, making sure that he hadn't destroyed my hair. It was pure white and pulled back into a long braid. On the right side of my hair, however, my bangs stuck out into the air, then drooped down, like the top of a sideways square. I had short, but thick, white sideburns hanging off either side of my head.

People often gave me odd looks because of the contrast between my hair and skin. I had pure white hair and very dark brown skin. But what people seemed most confused about was how I looked so young and yet I had white hair. In truth, I was only in my mid-twenties, but I was born with white hair. In Nalak one's hair color represents what they will grow up to be like, so there are many children born with much more unnatural hair. My white hair symbolized purity.

On top of that, all Nalakians are tattooed at birth. So I have two upside down triangular tattoos below both of my green eyes. They are a faded white, and the bottom tips turn inwards towards my nose. However, whether I like it or not, they are there forever. I've heard stories of people cutting them off, but when the skin grew back so did the tattoos.

I finished downloading the new game onto my computer and started it up. It was another fighting game, but I decided to give it a try. Surprisingly, it was quite strategic and fun.

When the day ended I stood up, taking my small suitcase and black blazer off the back of my chair, and walking to the door.

"Bye everyone" I called as I pulled my long grey jacket off the coat hanger by the door and headed home to my apartment.

* * *

Sitting down on my bed, I un-tucked my long-sleeved white shirt and pulled off my bowtie. With my jacket now hanging on my door and my blazer in my closet, I laid down across my bed and stared up at the ceiling.

My apartment was very small, so I was able to pay the rent easily on my own. I was used to living in cramped quarters, only with other people, so cramped quarters without people were much more comfortable.

The bedroom was the first room in the suite, with my large queen-sized bed right in the middle. It was the biggest thing in the entire suite, and took up the majority of the room. On the wall closest to the door was a tight kitchen and sink. The doorway was followed by a short hallway, and going left would lead to the bathroom.

I glanced up, staring at the bathroom across from the bed. Next to the hallway was a large television. Sighing and lying back down, I waited for several long minutes. Despite not doing much of anything at work, I was tired. I always was. Working made me want to curl up on the floor and sleep. Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to do that.

Finally I sat up, going to the kitchen fridge to pull out some food and prepare a small dinner. I made a few grilled cheese sandwiches and sat down on my bed to eat.

Leaning back against the wall behind my bed, I pulled my scroll out from my pocket and connected it to the television. It turned on and started up a show that I'd been watching the past few months. It was a reality show about the various hunters' academies around Remnant. It was interesting to watch all the young people learning and fighting, and I had learned a fair amount from the show as well.

I bit into my second sandwich, watching as two huntsmen, Jaune Arc and Cardin Winchester, went head-to-head in a fighting match. Jaune was easily outdone, as usual. I'd seen them fight before, and knew that even I could fight better than him. Probably both of them actually. Despite never attending a hunters' academy, I could fight pretty well, or at least I thought I could. While with the Nalakians, I'd learned to hunt. When I came to the city, I learned how to use a sword through an online teacher. Lots of my life revolved my computer these days.

When the program ended I reached into my suitcase and pulled out the fax. Shutting off the television, I started to plan out the route in which I'd take to the Nalakian village.

Shortly after deciding on a route, I glanced up at the time, washed my plate and griller, and returned to my bed to read.

* * *

**So there it is. As you can see, White I is much slower paced than the others, and it will continue to be slow-paced. However, there is only one chapter left after this, which is already written, so expect it in the next couple of days. **

**Also, I feel like I've been rushing these introductions lately. Sorry about that. I just really want to get into the actual story, and I'm sure that you all do too. Nevertheless, introductions are always important right?**

**And that's that, so as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell you enemies, unless you don't want to, then that's cool too. Hopefully I will see you all in the final chapter of White I.**


	18. White I Chapter 3

**Hey guys, welcome back again! Sorry that this chapter was so late, I've been writing so much more lately that I've forgotten to upload. Also, I decided to make this story a once-a-week thing. Meaning, I will upload a new chapter once a week. The day I had planned for was Monday, but as you can clearly tell, today is Tuesday. So I'll try to be on time in the future, and if not, it should be up by Tuesday (I'm not busy on either of these days, so that's why these work the best). This will allow me to stay way ahead of schedule in terms of writing. I've almost finished the next color already, so I'm about three weeks ahead. **

**So this is the last chapter of White I by the way, and after this I will be taking a break, as usual. Now let's get straight to it, presenting White I chapter 3!**

* * *

The next morning I awoke, an open book splayed across my chest. I sat up, blinking sleepily and looking around. For a brief second I wondered where I was, but quickly realized. Picking the book off my chest and closing it, I set it back on its shelf and stood up.

I went to the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. Sitting down on my bed to eat, I turned to look at the time. It was eight twenty-three in the morning. I froze, then remembered that it was Saturday. Letting out a sigh of relief, I continued to methodically eat my sandwich.

Looking down at myself, I realized that I was still wearing my long-sleeved white collared shirt from yesterday. Shrugging it off, I finished off my sandwich and fell back onto my bed. There was a crumpling noise underneath me. Sitting up, I turned to look.

On my bed were the plans for how I'd reach the Nalakian village. Picking them up and straightening them as best I could, I looked them over. When I'd determined that they were good, I stood up and got ready for the day.

Going to my closet, I picked out another long-sleeved white shirt. I don't know why, but I prefer to wear a suit over anything else. They're comfortable, easy to move in (for me at least), and I felt like everything I did looked cool. Everything's cooler when you wear a suit right?

However, I thought more about the situation and instead went for something else. In the forest my suit would likely tear on tree branches and get dirty.

Replacing the white shirt in my closet, I pulled out my only casual attire; a white undershirt, pocket-coated cargo pants, and a warm, black jacket. The undershirt was pretty much spotless, due to the fact that I've only worn it about two times in my life.

Stuffing the Nalakian village route guide into my pocket, I started towards my door. Stopping in the small hallway leading to it, I turned back around. I had forgotten something. Quickly I made my way to the bathroom, shutting the door out of habit. I knew that no one would see me, as I lived alone. Still, I lifted the seat and undid my belt. Pulling my belt completely off, I sat down on the toilet and took care of business.

Standing and pulling my pants up, I opened the mirror cabinet above the sink. The cabinet was mostly inaccessible to others, as it lacked a handle and an easy way to tell whether or not it even opened up. But I had my ways of opening it.

Once the mirror was opened, I reached in and gripped the handle of my masterpiece, as I called it. The memories flooded back suddenly, as they often did when I held the weapon again.

_"__Wintanweorth!" Father called. _

_"__Coming!" I called back. _

_I raced out from the small stone structure. My father stood just outside, watching me. _

_"__What've you been making?" He asked. _

_"__A weapon!" I replied. "I believe that the city folk call it a 'sword'"_

_"__How interesting." Father said, "May I see it?"_

_Turning around, I rushed back into the small stone building. This was the blacksmith's shop, and I was the village blacksmith. I'd inherited the position from my father, who was now too old to weld and forge properly. He'd lost a couple fingers recently because of that._

_Picking the cooled blade up from its spot in the water barrel, I brought it out, showing father. _

_"__Here it is" I said. _

_"__Wow." Father said, taking it in his hand. "Who is this for?" _

_"__Myself" I replied. _

_"__Must have been hard work" Father said. _

_"__Several hours work." I replied, "Not including the time it took to gather the materials" _

_Father smiled, "I'm proud of you son" He said, handing the blade back. _

_"__Thank you," I said, "I'm proud of me too"_

_Father snickered. "If it's for you," He said, "What'd you call it?"_

_It was tradition to name everything, including our weapons and tools. We believed that naming a weapon embodied it with a soul, which would create a special bond between man and tool. _

_I paused for a moment, trying to remember what I had decided on, "It's called __Reitō no Fukushū__" __I replied. _

Returning to reality, I drew the sword from its place hidden behind the mirror. Most people would have their weapons on display, but Reitō no Fukushū was special. It was my masterpiece. People could steal it, and I couldn't risk that.

The blade was a long katana. The guard was an octagon shaped snowflake. Out of each corner of the eight-sided shape was a short spike, about an inch long. The two spikes sticking out of the right and left sides were about double the length of the others. The two spikes on the top and bottom of the guard reached along the blade, almost reaching the very top, and along the handle, reaching down about halfway. The handle itself was black, wrapped up in leather. The very end of the handle was topped off by a silver cap with a small hole in the center.

I held the blade in my hand, with it still in its sheath. Taking it by the sheath, I reached back into the cabinet and pulled out a belt of shurikens (in this case, they are not throwing stars, but the short spear-like throwing knives) and attached them to my own belt. Taking one out, I fitted it into the hole at the bottom of Reitō no Fukushū. Once it clicked in I slung the katana around my shoulder, so that the blade rested against my back.

Finally ready, I did up my belt and left the bathroom.

* * *

Outside I took the bus to the nearest place to the village. Unfortunately, that was still very far away from it.

I was dropped off in the outskirts of the kingdom of Atlas before I set out. Several hours later I reached the forests where the Nalakian village would be located.

The forest was different than I remembered. The trees were much thicker and closer together. When I lived in the village the trees were thinner and more spaced out. _Time changes all, right?_ I thought, squeezing between two great tree trunks. _I sure am glad that I didn't wear my suit today_. The branches scraped my jacket, but luckily didn't tear it.

However, as I made my way through the thick foliage it began to thin out. Suddenly I heard a crackling in the distance, and a light flashed ahead.

Yanking my pants from a prickly bush, I charged forward, suspecting the worst possible scenario.

I reached two crossed trees and leapt, turning my body sideways, and slipping between both trunks before continuing to run.

The crackling grew louder until I saw it; fire licking up the trunk of a tall tree. Panicking now, I ran faster, only to be stopped by a blast of fire flaring up before me. And then I saw it.

My village was in flames.

The buildings were charred severely, most were unrecognizable. A tree burned to a crisp in the distance and collapsed. In the center of the village I saw something, or someone.

Quickly dashing through the fire, I was able to better tell who stood in the fire. It was a woman, silhouetted against the great flames behind her.

"Excuse me miss!" I called, waving my arms around above my head, not forgetting my city manners, "Come here! The fire is dangerous!"

Her head turned, revealing glowing yellow eyes. I staggered slightly, surprised by how evil she looked. But I couldn't judge her based on that.

"Miss!" I called, "Come quickly! The fire is dangerous!"

All of a sudden a sinister, crescent-shaped smile spread across her face, and she raised her hand. A gust of fire shot from her palm, charging towards me.

I gasped and ducked, narrowly avoiding the attack.

She fired another blast, which I side-stepped to avoid. It broke against a tree, setting it ablaze. Turning to her, I saw her fire another blast. I side-stepped again, avoiding the attack. She fired another blast right away, hitting me and throwing me to the ground.

I stood, focusing my aura to heal the burns. They couldn't heal my clothes, unfortunately, which were also burned badly. Casting the jacket aside, I realized who this woman was.

"Did you do this?!" I demanded, gesturing to the burning forest around me.

Her smile glistened in the darkness, further showing her insanity and answering my question.

Reaching to my belt for a shuriken, I readied myself to throw. Almost immediately I threw. The shuriken flew as if it were a bullet. The woman staggered backwards as it hit her.

I drew two more and threw both. This time she held out her hand, and each one burst at her palm. The small explosion lit up her face slightly, but it wasn't enough to find any clear details. All it did was further reveal her evil smile.

"Why the hell would you do this?!" I screamed, throwing another shuriken, which she easily destroyed. I reached to my belt for another shuriken, then rethought my strategy and faked grabbing one. Reaching up to Reitō no Fukushū's handle, I pretended to throw another shuriken, then charged.

The woman held out her hand, but when she didn't receive the shuriken she took a step back and fired a blast of fire. Drawing Reitō no Fukushū and slashing out, I cut through the fire and stabbed forward. For a second I saw her full body, but once again, it was too brief to completely be able to tell. I was quite certain that she wore something red.

Swinging Reitō no Fukushū down upon her, I cut through her silhouetted head. Her body broke up into shadows.

And then, just like that, she vanished.

* * *

**I know that typically each color has a more epic or violent climax, so this was probably pretty disappointing. It was for me too, though. **

**So what did you guys think of Wintanweorth's weapon? Actually, his weapon was initially called 'Frozen Vengeance', but I didn't think that it sounded very Nalakian (whatever that sounds like, it isn't English), so I called it ****Reitō no Fukushū, which translates from Japanese into 'Revenge of the Frozen' (according to Google Translate), so I guess that's close enough. **

**Also, who do you all think the fire woman was? I think that it's fairly obvious, but maybe it isn't. It'll be revealed later on anyway. **

**At this point you should all know the first team's name. If you can believe it, there have been four colors, meaning four characters and a team (Gazini, Nicole, Azure, Wintanweorth). If you haven't figured it out already the team name is GNAW. I know it doesn't follow Monty's rule of team names being a color/resembling a color, but I didn't know about the rule until I'd already long made this team. **

**Lastly, since the first team has been formed, I'll be taking a longer break than usual, probably. Unless I get bored or something. The next chapter should be up in a week to a month (hopefully not a month though).**

**And that's it I think. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell you friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to. And hopefully I will see you all in Violet I!**


	19. Violet I Chapter 1

**Hello everyone and welcome back. I have to say though, waiting a week was way too long for me. I feel like I should be apologizing for how late this is. For now I'm planning on keeping this schedule, but if you want to say something about it please tell me in a review.**

**Also, sorry that this chapter was late. Due to the recent passing of our dear Monty Oum I felt that the timing wasn't appropriate. However, I have a promise to keep to you guys.**

**And I just want to say that I had loads of fun writing this color. Yes, I am already done (other than editing). It's longer than the others, and its a lot more important, so pay attention.**

**Anyways, it feels like its been too long since I've posted here so let's just get right down to it. Here is the first chapter of Violet I!**

* * *

I ran along the rocky path, hopping from boulder to boulder. The little pink girl, whatever her name was, had dragged behind to the point where I abandoned her entirely. _High heels?_ I thought, _Seriously? How does she even fight in those?_ But she was gone now, so I didn't need to think about her anymore.

Good thing she hadn't come along, too, as the path got much bumpier. Jumping through it was much faster and frankly, more fun. Pinkie couldn't enjoy it with shoes like hers, and if she were to go barefoot she'd likely stub her toe.

"Oh no!" I called out, imitating a prissy girl (which is what Pinkie is), "I broke a nail!" I laughed at her from where I was, leaping across a gap onto the next rock. "Please," I continued, "how'd someone like her become a full-fledged huntress?" I leapt, scampering up the side of the next boulder. "She must be fairly new to the game, considering her size" I snickered to myself, which quickly turned to a grunt as I landed on another lower boulder.

"Still," I continued, "Obviously she graduated. Probably just barely though. Heh. Not like me. I've been at this job for years now. I wonder how old she is though." I paused to think about it, then shook my head, "Nah," I decided, "who cares?"

Arriving on a particularly tall boulder, I crawled to the top and gazed out over the remaining land. The village was very close. I could see it already.

Clearing the last few boulders I landed on the outskirts of the village, which was a very small amount of land between the boulder fields and the village. In fact, it was about two feet wide all around the village.

I planted my feet in the outskirts, then gazed out over the village. People stopped and turned to look at me. Someone broke through the crowd.

"Are you Octavia Strom?" The woman asked.

I nodded, "I am indeed" I replied.

"Quickly," the woman started, "come this way"

I looked down at the imaginary line dividing the village from the outskirts, then stuck out my foot and stepped over it in an exaggerated way.

As I passed through the crowd the people stared at me in awe. One reached out and ran his fingers through my long, violet-colored dreadlocks. I turned to stare at the person, but he didn't let go, so I kept moving. Luckily, he didn't try to pull me back. He wasn't very attractive anyway.

We arrived at a wooden cabin, which was bigger than the other cabins scattered around the village. The woman spread open the curtain door and I stepped through. She didn't follow, and I glanced back as the curtains closed behind me.

"Octavia." An elderly man's voice came from behind me. I turned.

"That's me" I replied.

"Thank you for arriving so soon" He said.

"That's my job," I replied, "the quicker I do jobs, the more that I can do, and the more money I make"

The man nodded, "We have a problem" He said, as if he hadn't even heard my statement.

"Your people are being kidnapped and returned right?" I asked.

"Correct" the man replied.

"Alright," I started, "when do people go missing typically?"

"At night," he replied.

"Around what area of the village?"

"Everywhere"

"Explain"

"They kidnappers take anyone"

"Is there a pattern?"

"Not from what I have noticed"

I paused to think, "When do they usually come?" I asked.

"I already told you, at ni-" He started.

I cut him off, "_How often_?" I asked.

The old man sat in his chair, thinking for a long while. "Every week or so" He replied.

"Are the victims any different when they return?" I asked.

"They say that they feel different," He started, "but it doesn't really show"

"It doesn't _really _show." I repeated out loud, "What small part of it _does_ show?"

"They're quiet for a while" He replied.

I plopped myself down on the ground, right in front of the doorway, and scratched my chin. "Hmm," I said, "When is the nearest time that they'll be coming do you think?"

He hesitated, "The last kidnapping happened several days ago already." He replied, "Any day now I'd say"

"Good," I said, standing back up, "Thank you for your help" I turned around and left the cabin. The old man grunted behind me, as if he were about to say something. But I left before he could.

Outside, I saw people turn again to stare at me, while still continuing with their work. I felt a tugging at my knee-high black laced-up boot. Looking down, I saw a little girl staring up at me and holding my leg. I almost yanked it away, but thought before doing so.

"Are you a demon?" She asked.

The question was odd, to say the least.

"No?" I replied, unsure of how to answer.

A woman came and picked the little girl up, "I'm so sorry," She said, "We have several legends here of red-eyed demons attacking villages. My little girl was thrown off by yours"

"Don't sweat it," I said, blinking my red eyes, "Sometimes people call me the Violet Demon anyway" It was true that that was my title. Similar to the Tri-Horn, only not as widely known. The Tri-Horn was very popular, but I was well-known in my own right.

"Oh," the mother said, looking somewhat concerned, "I see. So you're used to it"

"Yep" I replied.

"Are you sure that you're okay with being referred to as a demon though?" She asked.

I laughed, "Yes, I'm fine with it," I replied, "not that it was up to me. Besides, demons aren't as big in the city as they are down here"

"Oh okay" the mother replied.

"Then what do you do?" The little girl asked me. "If you don't fight demons, what do you do?"

Turning to her, I said, "Well, I'm a huntress, which means I fight creatures called Grimm for a living. Sometimes I do jobs like these too though"

"Are the Grimm the city demons?" the little girl asked.

"They are very similar, yes," I replied, "but Grimm are much easier to kill for someone like me"

"Well it's good to know you are capable" the mother said, turning to leave.

I stared after her, confused. Shrugging it off, I thought, _never heard of goodbyes here I guess_.

The woman turned around, "I'm sorry to disturb you again," she started. I hadn't moved an inch. "But do you need somewhere to stay? We'd be happy to help if we can"

I smiled politely, "Thanks," I replied, "But I shouldn't be here longer than a single night"

"Oh," the mother said, "okay"

"Also," I called her back before she left, "Have any of your children been kidnapped?"

"Yes," She replied, "my eldest son"

"May I speak with him?" I asked.

"Of course." The mother replied, "But chances are you won't get anything out of him. None of us could"

"Let me give it a shot" I said.

* * *

**So there you have it. A slower start, but I spend a lot more time on this character than the others (except Crimson I). **

****Thank you very much My Name is Jeff for your review. It really helps to hear about the flaws of the story so that I can improve. And yes, the rest of the introductions are going to be shorter and more like the last three (except Violet I), but that's only because they aren't as important. Gazini's portion of the story is the introduction to the actual plot, whereas the others, although important, don't contribute to the plot nearly as much. And I think that Crimson I was longer because at the time I was really excited to start writing and my ideas flowed slower, allowing me more time to write. However, at this point I've planned all the way to Crimson V, so I guess that I've been feeling rushed. And yes, these other characters are 'side dishes' as you called them. Gazini will be the main focus of the story, but the other characters are still very important, so don't dismiss them completely. Also, I get the "its a trap" reference and I understand where your coming from. Anyways, thank you so much for your insightful review and hopefully I answered all your questions. If I haven't shoot me another review or a PM (your a guest so I don't think that you can do that though) and I'll do my best to answer them, without giving anything away of course. ****And also, I got your second review, and no, they aren't kunai. They're much smaller, and don't look as much like actual daggers. They're more like thicker needles than actual knives.****

**Also, I just feel that this needs to be acknowledged again. Rest in peace Monty. Without you this story would never have even started, and I am truly thankful for what you have done and how you have impacted my life. RWBY became a part of my life, and now HellFall is an even bigger part of it. Again, thank you. **

**I'll admit that I didn't cry when I heard the news, but I'm just like that (emotions don't come easily to me, if that makes any sense). I'm still having trouble processing his death, as he was way too young, but the best thing that we can do is keep moving forward.**

**I don't really know how I can honor his life in full, so for now I will do so by assuring you all that I will see this story through, for both Monty and you guys as well. **

**So now the usual stuff. Favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I will see you all in the next chapter.**


	20. Violet I Chapter 2

**Hello everyone and welcome back! As usual, this is late, so sorry about that. I don't have an excuse this time though. I'm uploading this pretty late this evening so I assume that I a lot of you won't get to it until tomorrow. However, it is somewhat on time.**

**Also, just a little heads-up, the new school semester recently started so now I have a set of new classes, all of which aren't laid back enough for me to write in, unlike before. Therefore, some chapters from here on out will probably be later and this schedule could dissolve. However, I will, to the best of my ability, try to have a new chapter out at the beginning of every week. **

**I haven't done any writing in the past few days, but I will get right on that as soon as possible. **

**Anyways, this chapter is already showing you the possible conflicts that Octavia will have to face in the future, so its picking up already. But I can assure you that this color will be longer than most of the others. But now, let's get on with the chapter. Enjoy!**

I pushed the curtain door aside, looking into the small wood cabin. The first room contained a long table, as well as a large box in the corner. I assumed that that was storage for food, as this room appeared to be a dining room. An empty doorway at the end of the house led outside to the fenced in gardens, and a hallway led to the bedrooms.

"This way" the mother said, heading down the hallway. I followed her through. The hallway was much longer than I had initially thought. I assumed that these cabins housed more than one family. I couldn't imagine two people being able to produce enough children to fill these rooms.

The mother stopped by a doorway. "Here" She said.

I glanced inside, then leaned over to her. "How long ago was it?" I asked.

"Long time ago" She replied.

"Thanks for being so specific" I said sarcastically, ducking into the room.

Inside was a wooden bed covered in hay and grass, with a pillow filled with hay. The blanket was a long rectangular of cloth. On the right side of the room was another bed. A boy sat on that one.

I sat down on the other bed across from him. He just stared at me.

"What's your name?" I asked him, starting slow. I needed to make him comfortable with me.

"Dagon" He replied.

I was somewhat surprised. "That's a cool name." I said. And I meant it. "I'm Octavia"

He didn't say anything.

"What is it?" I asked, "Is there something on my face?"

Dagon shook his head. "I've never seen clothes like those" He replied.

"Oh," I said, looking down at my black turtleneck sweater. I wore a short sleeved, light purple thin jacket that only reached down to my mid-body. My legs were covered by dark blue jeans, still in great condition, and knee-high laced up black boots. "I can imagine your surprise" I added. The villagers' attire was much less fancy or colorful.

"And your hair" He said, reaching out to it. I allowed him to run his hand through my dark purple dreadlocks. When he sat down I got back to business.

"Now, Dagon," I started, "I need to ask you a few questions"

Dagon swallowed.

"You know why I'm here right?" I asked.

He nodded, his face serious.

"Good," I said, "then tell me, what happened when you were kidnapped?"

"I can't say" He said.

I scooted forward on the bed, "Why?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" Dagon asked.

"Why can't tell me?" I asked, "Did they tell you not to talk?"

Dagon didn't reply.

"I know that you don't want to talk about it," I started, "but you need to, otherwise more and more people will get kidnapped"

Dagon swallowed, "Can I tell you later?" He asked.

I paused to think, then shook my head, "As much as I want to allow that, I can't." I replied, "We're short on time. The kidnappers could come as early as tonight"

The boy paused, then nodded.

"You'll tell me?" I asked.

He nodded again.

"Alright," I said, leaning forward, "Why can't you speak of it?"

Dagon hesitated, "It hurts to talk about it" He replied, his voice trembling a little.

"Well," I started gently, "if you tell me about it, less people will get hurt. Isn't that worth the pain?"

He thought about it, then nodded.

"Alright," I said, "why does it hurt?"

"It reminds me," he replied, "of what happened"

"And what did happen?"

He hesitated, and sweat began to run down his face.

"Take your time," I told him. I could tell that he was in pain.

"They-," he started, "they put me in something"

"What was it?"

"I don't know"

"What did it look like?"

"Silver. Big. Confusing" Each word seemed to bring him great pain.

_It must be some kind of machine_, I thought.

"What did it do to you?" I asked.

"I don't know," he replied, starting to shake. "They put me in it, and I came out hurting"

"Where did it hurt?" I asked.

No reply.

"Where?" I asked, more firmly than before.

"Everywhere" he whispered.

_What kind of machine is this?_ I wondered, "Who are they?" I asked.

"What?" Dagon asked.

"You said _they_ put you in the silver object." I replied, "Who are _they_?"

Dagon swallowed again. "I don't know" He replied.

"What did they look like?" I asked.

"Um," he started, "it was dark"

"Don't play that game with me," I said, starting to get more frustrated and firm. "I can see your fangs as you speak. As a Faunus, you have night vision. What did they look like?"

Dagon didn't reply.

I sighed, resting my forehead in my palm. "Never mind," I said, waving my hand at him, "I've got enough information to use"

"There was a man," Dagon said. I looked up. "His hair was pale grey and short. It was messy too. The other was a woman. Her hair was a blue-green I think"

"Did you see anything else?" I asked.

Dagon shook his head, "I'm sorry," he replied, "it happened too fast"

"Don't worry about it," I said, "that's enough to go off of. You've given me more than enough. Thank you" I stood to leave, but he started speaking again.

"There was another," he continued, the sweat running off his face much more intensely. This was clearly a bad memory, "I couldn't see him too well, but it was clearly the leader. His hair was quite dark, but it wasn't black. I know that"

I sat back down, intrigued.

"I couldn't hear them too well either, but I heard them refer to Fall, as if it were a name"

My heart skipped a beat, and somewhere my brain shook in fear.

The incident of Cinder Fall was old, but she was still at large. If she had reappeared, I'd have a heck of a fight on my hands.

"Thank you" I said, standing and leaving.

Outside the room, Dagon's mother rushed inside and started saying something. I couldn't understand what she said, but it didn't matter either way. I couldn't focus on it after what I had heard.

But he said that the leader's hair wasn't black. Cinder's was black. But the fact that 'Fall' had been mentioned drove me to believe that Cinder was involved in some way. If she was, it was likely that her team were the kidnappers. But her teammates, Emerald Sustrai, Mercury Black, and Roman Torchwick, were long gone. Not necessarily dead, but no longer involved. She must have another team; Dagon's descriptions didn't fit her old team very much. But either way,

Cinder Fall _is_ back.

**More canon characters, yay! Yes, this story will feature several canon characters in case any of you are wondering. However, none of them will play major roles, so don't expect too much from them. **

**So Cinder Fall is back, or is she? I think that most of you have probably figured that out due to the end of White I, however, I won't say anything about it. I prefer to imply/hint at things over flat-out telling you. You'll figure it out in due time, so don't worry. **

**Anyways, I think that that's all I have to say. We're almost done with ****Part 1: The Prologue**** as I'm calling it (there will be five parts, each one with a nifty name like that). And yes, this is only the prologue of the story (imagine if other books had prologues this long? I wonder what the actual book would be like). So now the usual routine; favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I will see you all in the next chapter. **


	21. Violet I Chapter 3

**Hello again and welcome back to HellFall. Finally, a chapter that is on time! Unfortunately it eight-thirty at night at the time that I am uploading this so it will likely still feel late to most of you (as in you'll probably read it tomorrow instead of today). Most chapters will come out later in the evening however, as that is when I have time to do other stuff. **

**So in the last chapter we got some idea of who could be involved in the main conflict, and this chapter (obviously) continues off of that. I won't give any spoilers, and instead get right into it. Enjoy!**

* * *

Night fell over the village, and as it did everyone finished their work and went into their homes to sleep.

It was the perfect opportunity to strike.

I stood atop a high boulder, one that gave me a great vantage point, but was too high up for anyone to easily be able to see me on top. I sat, hunched over and watching over the village. Hours passed, and nothing happened. Finally they appeared in the distance. I saw faint lights illuminating the path before them. From my distance it was impossible to make out any clear features about each person. It was hard enough to even see them.

They arrived at the village. The lights were very subtle, but most didn't carry one. _Most likely a bunch of Faunus_, I thought, watching them intently. They came out from the cabins carrying sleeping bodies.

Once they had gathered together again they ran away. They had taken about ten people.

_It's time_, I thought, pushing myself off the boulder and onto the ground. Landing silently, I sprinted forward, following the group from a good distance. Just to make sure I scaled the boulders around them and leapt from boulder to boulder, making minimal noise. I was careful not to knock over any pebbles.

They walked for a while, and about an hour later began to run. I heard one mumble something, and I was forced to speed up. I pounced across the boulders like a cat, moving silently and gracefully, travelling on all fours. Despite our similarities, I am not at all related to cats, or any sort of animal (other than humans).

I leapt to the next boulder, but slipped. As I started to slide off I clawed at the side, and a few small rock chips tumbled down. They hit the ground, making small _clink, clink_ noises. I froze as someone from the group stopped and turned.

"Oi!" One man called in a deep voice, "What's going on? Why'd you stop moving?"

"I heard something" another voice replied. It sounded more like a woman's.

"We're in a rush, get moving!"

"I know that the potion is wearing off, but what if we are being followed? Then it won't be worth it"

"Oi," the deep voice said again, "Make it quick"

I heard footsteps. They grew increasingly louder as they neared my boulder. I had caught the top of the boulder and shuffled along until I held onto the back of it. As I did so the person paused by my boulder and stared at it.

Another rock piece chipped off the boulder. Catching it, I threw it towards the group of people.

The person perked up, then ran in the direction of the noise. After not finding anything, the group continued on their way.

Scampering to the top of the boulder, I continued to follow them. After a long while of jumping and running they stop at a dead end.

_Dead end, now what?_ I wondered.

The person at the front of the group touched a boulder with something and it opened up, revealing a ladder leading into the ground. Everyone climbed down into it, carrying to bodies over their shoulders.

Once they had all disappeared I dropped down and stared at the boulder as it closed up. It wouldn't be too hard to shatter the door with Thunder Cyclone, my hammer.

Turning around, I ran back to the village to inform the people of the situation. By the time I arrived it was still nighttime, so everyone was still asleep.

I hid myself behind a large rock and fell asleep. I hadn't had any sleep at all yet tonight, and all the running and jumping made me tired.

The next day everyone awoke panicked. They called out the names of their children, and the ones who hadn't lost their children called out to me. Eventually someone found and shook me awake.

"What are you doing?" The person asked, "We're not paying you to sleep! They came by just last night!"

"I know," I replied, standing up, "start gathering everyone at this rock"

The person left to do just that. I climbed to the top of the boulder, looking out over everyone. Some people looked up at me expectantly.

Clearing my throat, I opened my mouth, "ATTENTION!" I screamed. Everyone who hadn't already turned was facing me.

Once I had decided that everyone was listening I started talking. "The kidnappers came last night!" I called. Everyone began to talk and yell at me. "Excuse me!" I yelled, gaining their attention again, "Allow me to continue!" I stopped to make sure that they were all listening again, "I followed them last night and found their hideout. I plan to leave as soon as I've had some breakfast!"

Several people volunteered to feed me. Everyone wanted their lost family members back. I smiled and surveyed the crowd. _I like how it feels to be on top_, I thought, _literally._

* * *

I sat down in someone's home, eating a large breakfast that they had prepared for me. I felt quite stiff from the running last night, and the food helped.

After washing everything down with water I stood and headed out. Everyone gathered around to watch me leave.

Turning around, I called, "Go about your daily routines, if you can. I will return as soon as I can!" Turning back towards the path, I started moving. The crowd didn't move, but instead watched me go.

I walked for a few feet, then broke into a sprint. As I ran, I gained energy and used that to run faster. I reached the dead end and boulder in a matter of minutes. Like last night, the boulder was sealed up.

Drawing Thunder Cyclone from my back, I got ready to swing. Holding it tightly in both hands and holding it behind my back, I took a step forward, swinging the hammer and slamming against the boulder. The rock cracked severely, but didn't break.

Backing up, I stared at the boulder. _That's one tough rock_, I thought, preparing for another swing. I swung again, this time shattering the front of the rock. Behind it was a heavily dented metal door. _Seriously?_ I thought, swinging again, bending the door inwards so much that I was able to reach into the sides and pull it out.

Replacing my hammer on my back, I dropped down into the hidden base.

* * *

**You may have thought something would happen, but very little did. However, the story is progressing as usual, and that's good. It may feel like this one is going to be like the other colors, with the climax in the next chapter. If you did think that, then you are sort of right. The climax actually (sort of not really spoiler alert) spans over three chapters, so look forward to that. **

**Also, for the next color, Green I, I actually thought up a storyline for it. Originally (if you remember) I was just going to do a little one-chapter introduction, but when I started writing it it felt awkward. I don't like to rush my stories too much. (I know you may be thinking of Azure I now and how rushed that was, but that was actually an incomplete version of it. The complete version is in the form of a comic book that I made. Don't worry, everything will be revealed in due time). However, Green I will likely be another two-chapter color.**

**I've been thinking about writing Grey I as well, although that'd be a very short one-chapter thing. If you want me to write it, I'd release on the same day as the last chapter of Green I, so you wouldn't have to wait a week for a couple sentences. Tell me what you think in the reviews or send me a PM. **

**Anyways, thank you all for reading this week and as usual favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies or don't if you don't want to and I'll see you all in the next chapter. **


	22. Violet I Chapter 4

**Welcome back everyone! Another on-time chapter, woo-hoo! Its a little late for 'on-time' though, sorry about that. I had a household issue and I had to step out for a while. Its all fine now, don't worry. But if this story does stop abruptly, then you know that I am dead and that you'll never learn anything more! Muhahaha! But seriously, there's nothing to worry about.**

**So this chapter is a fair bit shorter than the others, but it reveals much more than the last three combined, so look forward to that. This is when Violet I became loads of fun to write, and hopefully you will have fun reading it too. So let's get right into then.**

* * *

Landing silently on the ground, I looked up. Before me was an open space, nothing more. Taking a few steps forward, I looked for any sign of a doorway or way out other than the ladder behind me.

"So you _did_ follow us" A voice called out.

I spun around, searching for the bearer of the voice. The person stood behind the ladder. It was a girl, and an especially small one at that. She had short blonde hair and yellow eyes. She wore leather armor and a brown scarf was wrapped around her neck.

She smiled as she circled around the room, never taking her eyes off of me.

"I'm not surprised," she continued, "Violet Demon"

I reached back for my hammer.

"You wouldn't hit an unarmed little girl," She started, "would you?" Her face contorted to look innocently evil. I knew that she wasn't a little girl.

All of a sudden she dashed forward. Thunder Cyclone came out, barely blocking her attack.

Her feet skidded against the ground behind me. We turned around to face each other.

"Your reflexes are better than I'd initially anticipated" She said, taking up a battle stance. Her weapon appeared to be two flat slates of metal, with sharp, jagged edges. They were very small, so they wouldn't have as good reach as Thunder Cyclone, and chances are they were very hard to use.

She dashed again. This time I sidestepped her, holding out my hammer and once again, blocking the blow. She had slashed out towards me even after I had stepped away. _This girl's fast_, I thought.

She turned around again, starting to circle around the room again.

"What do you want?" She asked.

"For you to stop kidnapping people, as well as return everyone that you already have" I replied.

She laughed, "That's just your job," she said, "I want to know what _you_ want to gain from this little," she paused to think, "experience"

"Money?" I replied, not sure if that was what she was getting at.

"Is that really what you want?" She asked.

I hesitated, not sure what she was getting at. "Experience" I added.

"Anything else?" She asked.

"Stop an evil organization?" I asked.

She stopped walking, "I feel that there is more to that then your letting on"

"I've heard that Fall is involved" I added.

She smiled, "How interesting" she said. Just then, she charged, swinging her blades.

I swung Thunder Cyclone, but the hammer seemed to phase straight through her. On top of that she cut my black sweater.

Spinning around, I saw her charge again. Side-stepping and blocking the blow, I immediately spun around and swung my hammer. She charged just then, and I hit her hard in the gut. She flew into the air, slamming her back against the ceiling and falling to the ground. She lay still for a while longer.

Hammer ready, I walked towards her. She wasn't dead, I knew that. I could tell that she was breathing very little to avoid revealing that she was still alive, but she didn't do a very good job of it.

Heaving my hammer over my head, I slammed down, crushing her back. She cried out in pain, further proving that she was still alive.

"Is Fall involved?" I asked her.

Her head turned so that it wasn't in the ground, and she smiled, "Wouldn't you like to know?" She asked.

"Yes, I would." I replied confusedly, "That's why I asked"

"The question you should be asking," She started, "is _which_ Fall is involved"

"What are you talking about?" I asked, "I mean Cinder Fall. The one and only"

"Oh yes," she replied, "yes she is involved. But she's not the one that you should be worried about"

I raised my eyebrow, curious and confused. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"You know exactly what I mean." She replied, "_Which_ Fall are you most worried about?"

I took a step back, surprised. All of a sudden she was above the ground, her blades drawn to attack. My fist came up on instinct, hitting her squarely in the face.

"If there's another Fall," I said, starting towards her as she hit the wall, "then you'd better tell me"

"Wouldn't you like that?" She asked, still keeping her smile.

"Yes," I replied, "I would" I now stood right over her.

She responded with a smile.

I kicked her across the face. Blood dripped from her mouth.

"Just answer me" I told her.

"The elements are finally working together," She said.

"What?" I asked.

"To create a perfect world" She added.

"Make sense" I demanded, kneeling down and grabbing her leather collar.

She smiled, and I saw her eyes go behind me. As I started to turn I saw metal right in my face, then darkness. I was unconscious.

* * *

**See? I told you, its really starting up now. Cinder Fall is involved, but who is the other Fall? Or _Falls_? Next chapter reveals much more than I would have liked, and same with this one. I like keeping you guys in the dark. Sadly (for me), everything has to come out of the shadows eventually, so now's as good a time as ever. **

**Also, remember the smiling fast girl. She's somewhat important (I think...). **

**So what do you all think of "The elements are finally working together to create a perfect world"? Tell me your thoughts in a review, I'd love to hear your ideas. **

**And one more thing. I've recently hit some writer's block so don't be surprised if Green I is a little later than expected. I've only finished the first chapter now, and I'm having trouble coming up with more ideas. Don't worry though, they will all come out eventually. I just thought you may want to know that as the readers. (And the "elements are working together" quote, I don't want to hear your ideas because I have no idea what I'm doing next, because I know exactly what I'm talking about in this case, I'm just curious about what you guys think.)**

**And that's that. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to. And I will see you all in the next chapter. **


	23. Violet I Chapter 5

**Welcome back everyone! I am so sorry about how late this was, but due to the recent release of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate its been hard to remember that I do have a life outside of my 3DS. **

**So this chapter is longer than most, just to compensate for the shortness of the last chapter. It really starts getting more exciting now, so I'm just going to get right into it. **

* * *

I awoke later, staring up into darkness. I tried to look around, but my head was strapped into place. So was the rest of my body. I couldn't move. I tried to escape, but my body couldn't move even a little bit.

"Don't struggle" A voice said. My eyes shifted in their sockets to try to find the voice. I saw bright hair before me. It seemed to glow. It was a bright green and blue-ish. It was really hard to describe. It was greener, but it could still qualify as blue to some people. Either way, it appeared to glow bright green in the darkness. "It won't change a thing" The voice, which I identified as a woman's, added.

She seemed to fit the description Dagon had given me of one of the kidnappers.

"I see you held your own against Livie" she said, stroking my sweater where it had been cut. Her fingers made their way to the skin underneath, and a shiver shook my entire body.

"Get your hands off me" I demanded.

"Why?" She asked, continuing to gently rub my skin, "You can't do anything about it"

I stared at her angrily, knowing that she was right.

"But you have such nice skin," she added, "How could anyone resist?"

I shook, gaining a burst of energy and trying to escape. I didn't like the way she talked, it made me feel uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?" She asked. I couldn't tell what her face looked like. All I could see was her glowing hair.

"Gale" Another voice said from just behind me. The hair turned away.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Is she ready?" The voice, a man's deep one, asked.

"Yes" Gale replied, removing her hand and stepping back.

The bearer of the new voice now stood before me. I couldn't make out what he looked like, but once again, what I believed was his hair seemed to fit Dagon's description of pale grey.

"Are the others back yet?" Gale asked her comrade.

The man seemed to be looking down at something, just a few feet from where I was.

"No," he replied, "they're still taking care of things"

"What's taking them so long?" Gale asked.

"Cinder's on her way." He replied, "And Rain got distracted"

"How hard is it to throw a party for the lackeys?" Gale asked.

"Apparently he ran into a," the man started, "troublesome duo"

"How could anyone prove to be any trouble to him, Rocco?" Gale asked.

"They're just a distraction," Rocco replied, "I quote: 'A minor problem. Being dealt with'"

"Just who are these people?" Gale asked, "Which lackeys have the nerve to attack him?"

"A red-haired man," Rocco started, "and a baby fox"

"Absurd." Gale said, "Since when do we recruit animals?"

"We don't." Rocco replied, "Except for Faunus"

Gale didn't reply.

"Look at what you did, Gale," Rocco started, turning around, "you've made me reveal all our secrets to this woman"

"Oh please," Gale started, "we only gave away our names. Big whoop"

"You don't know what one could do with a name." Rocco said, then turned back to me and shifted. The thing that I laid in started to move.

"Let's just get the experiment over with," Gale said, "then we'll kill her"

"Right" Rocco said.

The machine that I was laying started working. I couldn't see it but the gears below me began to turn. All of sudden I felt my body shaking, and my energy began to seep away. I started to panic, and began to shake.

Gale and Rocco turned, "She's struggling," Gale said, "and she's succeeding"

Rocco moved, "Her energy levels," he started, "they aren't draining, they're increasing"

That was my semblance. The more that I moved, the more energy that I gained. It allowed me to fight harder and faster in long battles, as well as move very quickly.

"Well," Gale said, "counter her energy with your own!"

"Maximum power!" Rocco called. Too late, I broke free. Leaping onto the machine, I faced them, ready to fight. Reaching back, I realized that Thunder Cyclone was nowhere to be found.

"Did you honestly think that we'd leave you with your weapon?" Gale asked, "You wouldn't fit on the machine with it, it's so big"

I saw Rocco frantically moving his arms at the wall by the machine. Facing him, I dived, tackling him to the ground.

He kicked me off, sending me flying through the air. I was surprised by how strong he was.

Leaping back to my feet, I threw my fist. He caught it, and his head descended upon mine, sending me stumbling dizzily back. Gale's flash of bright hair came, knocking me back onto the machine.

As I started to stand I felt chains wrap around my body, keeping me stuck where I was. At least I could shake now.

"Hold her still!" Rocco called out, returning to the wall.

Gale grabbed me, pressing my body against the machine. I couldn't move.

Slowly I felt my energy seeping away. I tried to struggle to regain it, but Gale kept a firm grip on me, disabling my ability to move.

"Don't let go!" Rocco called.

I screamed, trying to escape. Then I realized something; I could still move my mouth. I started chomping at the air, working my jaw up and down. It did nothing but slow the painful process.

"Done!" Rocco called, sighing with relief.

Gale released me and stumbled backwards. "She's a feisty one" She commented.

I lay where I was on the machine, completely exhausted. The chains were gone, but I could barely even move my jaw anymore. Staring up at the darkness around me, I waited. My energy didn't return.

Forcing myself upwards, I stared at Gale and Rocco in the darkness. Pain spread through my body as I moved. Every movement sapped what little energy I had left from my body.

"What did you do to me?" I stammered, barely able to speak. "Why don't I have any energy?"

"What now?" Gale asked Rocco, ignoring my question.

"We kill her," He replied, "isn't that what we agreed?"

"Should we at least tell her though?" Gale asked.

Rocco paused, then his hair nodded up and down.

Gale turned to me, "Congratulations!" She said, barely excitedly, "You are the successful result of our semblance-removal experiment"

My eyes widened with fear, and I gasped.

"Take care of her," Rocco said, starting to leave, "one round should do the trick" Then he was gone

Gale's hair moved around, and I assumed that her weapon had come out. I heard transformation sounds and the cocking of a gun.

"Just one round" She said.

I began to wonder if this was the end. I'd been in situations like this before, but I'd always made it out. Not this time, I suppose.

Just then, I felt energy begin to return to my body. Not quickly, but it gave me enough to move. I slid off the machine, just as Gale pulled the trigger.

"What?!" She called out, turning.

I crawled towards the exit, or at least what I thought was the exit. Everything was so dark. I heard her fire another round behind me. Standing, I ran, not knowing where I was going.

"It's hopeless!" Gale called into the darkness. I guessed that she couldn't see me. "I will find you!"

I leaned back against a wall, catching my breath. My aura was regenerating. _Have I really lost my semblance?_ I wondered. I wasn't gaining any energy from moving, I was actually panting.

Then I heard footsteps and froze.

I couldn't see it, but I heard shoes clacking against the ground nearby. They got louder as they neared. I stopped breathing, scooting farther away. As I pushed away with my hand, I felt her move away. However, something followed her. I felt something soft brush my fingers, and my body went cold. _What is that?_ I wondered, terrified. I didn't dare move my hand, for fear of disrupting whatever the soft thing was.

The footsteps began to die, and the softness disappeared. I almost let out a sigh of relief, but kept it in. Gale would hear me if I did so.

Glancing over, I looked for her. My eyes were adjusting to the darkness, and I could faintly make out the wall beside me. Standing and peeking to the right, I realized that she was gone. Looking to the left, I started in that direction.

There wasn't much light in the area, but apparently there was enough for my eyes to pick up on and allow me to see. Nevertheless, I bumped into several walls as I walked.

I never ran into Gale again, thankfully.

What I did find were the kidnapped villagers. Luckily, some were Faunus, so they served as guides for the rest of us. Hours dragged by, or at least I thought that they were hours. It was hard to tell what time it was in the pitch dark of the underground base. My energy had long returned, and my legs were sore. Finally we stumbled upon a door. Opening it, one Faunus revealed it to be a closet.

"Are there any lights?" I asked.

A Faunus walked in a pulled a chain hanging from the ceiling, and the light flicked on. Walking in, the first thing that I saw was Thunder Cyclone.

I ran to it, grabbing and hugging it. The others watched me in awkward silence.

"Found you!"

* * *

**I feel like its been a while since a chapter has ended with a true, good ol' cliffhanger like this one, so here you go. **

**As much as I enjoy keeping you guys in the dark, I did find now to be a good time to reveal some more stuff to you. So now we have the names of the enemies: Cinder, Gale, Rain, and Rocco. Also, did you guys notice the reference to Crimson I? I just felt like that'd be a cool little addition to this chapter. **

**So what do you guys think the soft thing was? And who do you think that was at the end of the chapter? Tell me what you think in the reviews.**

**Also, I thought that this was kind of interesting. The character Livie from the previous chapter (her name was revealed in this chapter) was made up on the spot, and her name was the first thing that came up on a name generator. But just today I looked up her name to make sure it had something to do with color, and apparently the name means 'olive', so I was pretty lucky there. **

**This is the second last chapter of Violet I, and after that I'll start releasing Green I. I haven't finished it yet, as (sorry to talk about video games so much today) Monster Hunter has taken over my entire existence, plus writer's block isn't really helping, but I'll see about finishing it tonight. Its only two chapters long, so it shouldn't be too hard. And after Green I will be the last color before we can get to Part 2, so we're really almost there. **

**Anyways, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the final chapter of Violet I. **


	24. Violet I Chapter 6

**Welcome back everyone! Let me just begin by saying that I am so sorry about how late this one was. I totally forgot that yesterday was Monday and didn't have my computer for the last bit of today. However, I'm uploading this now, so it's somewhat on time. **

**Anyways, I think that this is a pretty good chapter, despite being shorter than most. **

* * *

There stood someone, or some_thing_. Upon closer examination, I realized that that last thought was very racist.

It was Gale.

I gasped, looking for a way out. I could hardly see her through my panic. Spinning around, I searched frantically for a secret exit of some kind.

"We can't fight her!" I called out.

I heard her cock her gun, "Big bird's ready to play!" She cried.

_She's insane!_ I thought, running my hands along the walls. Calming myself for a second, I knocked my fist against the wall.

"Who's there?!" Gale yelled, then laughed maniacally.

The sweat dripped from my face in hot buckets.

It appeared to be hollow on the other side of the wall.

"Stand back!" I called, bringing up my hammer and destroying the wall.

She fired off a bullet. Spinning around, I saw someone's bloody corpse fall to the ground.

"No!" I called, starting towards him.

"He died for you!" One of the other villagers told me, "Accept his sacrifice and go!"

I felt my hot sweat mix cool tears.

"Looks like I missed!" Gale called, cocking her gun again.

"Let's go!" I called, standing aside to allow everyone through.

"We got you into this," one villager said, "We should get you out. Go!"

I ducked through the hole as I heard another gunshot. Turning, I saw another body fall, but it was someone who hadn't been standing near me. _She's going for the villagers!_ I thought, arriving on the other side of the wall.

"Get going!" I demanded, "She's trying to kill _you_ now!"

Another villager fell. The rest got through the wall and followed me through the darkness.

"Octavia!" A Faunus called. I turned, faintly seeing a box protruding out of the wall. The Faunus opened it and tossed me what appeared to be a visor. "Night vision!" The Faunus added.

Catching it, I slipped it on. Looking around, I could see the room as if it was lit up by actual lights. The rest of the human villagers were wearing them as well.

"Going so soon?!" Gale called, "Come back and play!"

We ran to the door, kicking it open, and running through.

"How do we get out?!" Someone called.

"I don't know!" I replied.

"Let's play!" Gale called from behind. She was getting closer. Strangely enough, she was walking towards us, instead of running.

Finding a vent in the wall, I bashed it open. "This way!" I called, ushering everyone inside.

"You go first!" One called.

"We don't have time!" I replied, "My job is to save you, so get your butts in there!"

They crawled in while I kept watch. I realized that I'd left the door open. I heard Gale's footsteps nearby. Charging and leaping forward, I kicked the door closed. I heard it smack her and send her to the ground.

"Gah!" She cried.

I turned, seeing everyone already in the vent. Sprinting forward, I realized that I wouldn't fit with my hammer.

"I won't fit!" I called.

"We'll find another way out!" One villager called.

"No!" I replied, "You go, I'll find another way!"

"Are you sure?!"

"No!" I replied, "But what choice do we have?!"

The door behind me flew open.

"Who's hungry?!" Gale cried.

"Go!" I whispered, replacing the vent cage.

Turning around, I saw Gale's shoe appear by the door.

Looking around, I saw a staircase right next to me. It was a longshot, but it was the only plan that I had. Hooking Thunder Cyclone on my back, I leapt up, climbing over the railing onto the stairs.

"Where're you going babe?!" Gale called.

"Anywhere but here" I muttered, standing and sprinting up the stairs.

"Come back!" Gale called behind me.

Reaching the top of the stairs I grabbed the railing, swinging myself around and running up the next set of stairs.

Once I reached the top of that staircase, I drew my hammer and destroyed the stairs. _Try scaling that_, I mentally challenged her.

Spinning around and running, because I knew that she could, I tried to find a way out. Finding another air vent, I peeked in.

"Guys!" I called into it, "Its Octavia!"

A few moments later they appeared. "What now?" The first one asked.

"Come out." I replied, "I've got her distracted for now"

Breaking open the vent door, I pulled each one out.

"Surprise!" Gale's voice called. Just then I saw a massive creature fly over my head. It was hard to tell what it was, but I assumed that it was Gale.

"Run!" I called, running in the opposite direction, not daring to look back. Ahead I saw a ladder. _A way out!_ I thought, turning towards it.

I heard Gale running after us, laughing the whole way. _Do all the women here love smiling creepily in some way?!_ I wondered, thinking of Livie and Gale.

Reaching the ladder, I grabbed a villager in both hands, "Grab on!" I called, throwing him up the tunnel without warning. Luckily he understood enough to grab one of the top rungs. "Next!" I called, throwing the next one. I glanced back at Gale, seeing that we had put plenty of distance between us.

Once everyone was up, I looked back once more. Gale was pretty much upon me.

"Octavia!" A villager called, hanging from the ladder and holding out his hand. I leapt, catching his hand and dropping my feet onto a lower rung.

Below me I saw something green sweep across the ground, and then it was gone.

* * *

**So there you go. Nothing like a good ol' cliffhanger eh? Well this is the last chapter of Violet I, so you'll have to wait learn about what just happened. I definitely think that I gave very strong hints about Gale's appearance, but despite that I think that you'll all be surprised. **

**Also, I received a message from someone recently about whether or not more Crimson chapters would come out, so I get the feeling that some others may be confused about that, so I'll just answer it now: Heck yes, there is a 99% that there will be more Crimson chapters, as well as Pink, Azure, White, Violet, and all the other colors after. After I finish Part 1, I'll be taking a short break to collect my thoughts and get ahead in my writing, then return with Crimson II. The second of every color will then follow (possibly in varying orders to what they were here). And like I said a little while ago, I have plans for up to Crimson V (V=5 in roman numeros, in case you didn't know). So unless I die in the next few weeks or come down with a disease/disability that prevents me from typing, then there will be more chapters after Part 1. **

**I think my writer's block has finally cleared as well, as I was able to finish Green I today, as well as start the next and final color in Part 1. We're almost done guys, about five chapters (in the last two colors) left. The last two will be shorties, unfortunately, but that's just the way it is. Once the story gets going each color should be longer. **

**Anyways, if you have any questions post a review or shoot me a PM, and I will answer it to the best of my abilities. Whether you have little to say or lot's, I love hearing from you guys...a lot.**

**One last thing, we hit over 2,000 views! Yay! Thank you everyone for your support thus far, I am truly happy that so many of you actually want to read my fanfiction. It's not big and popular like some others, but even if only 20 people consistently read this, then I'm very happy to keep writing for you guys! Again, thank you so much!**

**And as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I will see you all in Green I Chapter 1!**


	25. Green I Chapter 1

**Welcome back everyone! Now this chapter is up much earlier than the others because I am currently on spring break, which means that I have way more time to upload and way more time to write. Who knows? I may get bored and upload an early chapter (seriously I have 2 weeks to do almost nothing, don't be surprised).**

**The days have kind of been blurring together as I am on holidays and I don't need to keep track of them anymore, so don't be surprised if chapters are late or something. I'll do my best to get them up on time, and I'm already halfway there (spring break is only 2 weeks long) so I should be fine. **

**This is the start of a new color finally, which is Green, in case you didn't notice by the title. This one is only two chapters long, which I apologize for, but I'm somewhat just pushing through these introductions at this point so that I can get straight into the story, so bear with me as these may not be the most exciting chapters in the world. **

**So yeah, let's get on with it!**

* * *

I awoke early in the morning, barely able to sleep. I was too excited for the field trip today.

I lived at Signal academy. Although we were supposed to go home every or most nights, I stayed at the academy. My parents paid for it and frankly, home wasn't as exciting. However, I still had to return every weekend

But not this weekend. This weekend we were going to the village of Barcombe. Apparently they had sent out a distress signal, so as a test we were all heading up to the village to defend it. I saw it more as an activity than an actual test. An actual test to me was either writing on paper or dueling with a professor. The Grimm were nothing.

I sat in my bed, trying to fall asleep but too excited to do so. The students in the beds around me blinked in confusion when they saw that I was wide awake.

"Grizzly?" Hippolytos, or Hippo, asked drowsily, "Why are you awake? It's four in the morning"

"I'm too excited to sleep" I replied.

Hippo sighed, rolling over in his bed, "You're so childish sometimes, especially for your age"

"Excitement isn't evil" I pointed out.

"I never said that." Hippo replied, "I said that it's childish"

"Childish to be excited?" I asked, "Remember just yesterday, when you got Twilight's Copper back from the polisher? You freaked out"

Hippo rolled back over to face me, "That different." He said, "I wasn't staying up all night anticipating when I'd get it back"

"You were still excited" I pointed out.

He sighed and rolled back over, pulling his covers over his head.

I stared at him for a second, then leaned back in my bed, resting my head against the pillow.

"Besides," Hippo started again, "if you don't sleep now, you won't have any energy for the test in the morning"

_Oh right_, I thought, _it's a test_. "Right" I replied, shutting my eyes and pulling my blanket up to my neck. After about an hour (or at least that's how long it felt) I finally fell asleep, only to be awoken a few hours later.

We had already packed all our things, so it was only a matter of getting everyone fed and organized enough to leave.

Seated in my chair, I talked Hippo's ear off over a large bowl of stew. The field trip today wasn't the only thing that I was excited about. Recently I'd been accepted into Beacon Academy. It was odd for someone like me, a fifteen year old, to be accepted so early. Headmaster Ozpin said that in his time at Beacon, he'd only accepted select few into Beacon early, the most recent of which was Ruby Rose. I found that especially interesting, considering Ruby was a childhood friend of mine.

When we were younger we were both really good friends. However, she was older than me and thus started attending Signal before I could. We saw each other on weekends and she taught me a few things, and very quickly she became my inspiration. I wanted to be a huntsman. So as soon as I could I applied to Signal, but unfortunately Ruby moved on before I got accepted.

She graduated from Beacon a while ago already, and I haven't seen her since she left Signal.

I find it ironic how we both got accepted early into Beacon, and at the same age too.

However, I have to finish this year at Signal first, just to make sure that I pass my final tests and what-not. I'm not too worried about it though.

"It's going to be awfully lonely without you Hippo" I said, referring to when I started at Beacon.

"Don't worry about that," He said, "my older brother attends, and he's part of a team. Everyone is actually. You won't be alone"

I nodded, "But I was looking forward to going with you" I said.

"I was too." He said, then paused, "Now don't go getting all mushy on me Grizz" He added.

I smiled and continued eating.

* * *

After breakfast we all went to brush our teeth and get dressed, the last phase of getting ready.

Pulling off my pajamas, I pulled my white long-sleeved shirt over my head. By now it was faded and stained, so it was more of a darker yellow-ish white shirt. I hadn't washed it for a few months now. On top of that I buttoned up my formal brown vest, with a V-shaped collar stretching down to the mid-section of my body. Lastly, I pulled on a pair of formal brown pants.

Once I was done with that I entered the washroom to brush my teeth. I stared at myself in the mirror as I brushed, seeing my yellow eyes and white skin. My hair was green and quite long for a boy. My bangs stuck out between my eyes in messy strands, but my vision wasn't obscured by it. The sides of my hair stuck out a little, and a single strand of hair stood up and curved down on the top of my head. Two small brown bear ears stuck out of the forest known as the top of my head. After brushing my teeth I used the toilet one last time, then left.

To top off my outfit, I pulled my Islamic green cloak off my bed frame and draped it around my shoulders, then did up the single button near my neck. My whole body was mostly covered by the cloak, which meant that no one would see my weapons, Barbed Gustav, at my sides.

I wasn't trying to sneak my weapon along, as we needed to bring them, but it surprised my opponent more, as they wouldn't know what to expect.

Latching both pieces of my weapon to either side of my waist, I picked up my bag, slung it over my shoulder, and headed to the waiting area for leaving.

Once everyone had arrived Professor Lime began explaining the rules. They were the typical rules for expeditions, mostly variations of 'stay with the group unless permitted to do otherwise'.

When Lime finished explaining the doors behind her opened and our expedition began.

* * *

**So there you go. I guess you could say that this is a cliffhanger, but its not very exciting. **

**There really isn't a lot to say about this chapter, other than the kid named Hippo...yeah its kind of a crappy name for a kid but whatever. Clearly his parents didn't care that much about him. **

**So what do you guys think Barbed Gustav (Grizzly's weapon) is? **

**And also, they're going to Barcombe. Sound familiar to anyone?**

**Anyways, as usual favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell you enemies or don't if you don't want to and I will see you all in the next chapter.**


	26. Green I Chapter 2

**Hello everyone and welcome back! I'm so sorry about how late this chapter was. I haven't had internet access for the past few days and somehow I forgot on Monday and Tuesday. **

**This chapter is a little longer than the others, but its not too bad. Its not particularly exciting either, but it does contain some important information.**

* * *

We had been walking for hours without a break, but as aspiring huntsmen and huntresses that didn`t bother us one bit. Normal people would have collapsed from exhaustion, but we were trained to be able to withstand it.

The land around us was pretty much completely flat, so the terrain didn`t contribute to the drainage of our energy either. The path to Barcombe wasn`t an exciting one.

The Grimm themselves never showed either, so a few hours in it started to get more boring than it was tiring. Some people seemed to wish for exhaustion because it`d at least be a challenge.

Night finally fell and we set up camp. It was done almost immediately, as everyone was so excited for something to do. In the center of the camp we set up a large fire and roasted various meats over it.

"Does anyone want to hear a ghost story?" a boy asked.

Everyone replied in various ways of agreement such as "Alright" or "Sure" or "Whatever"

The boy leaned forward and started to tell the story, "It was a dark night, just like this one, and someone had gotten up to take a leak."

Someone had stood up and started walking away, but upon hearing that turned back and sat down by the fire.

"Language, Almond." Lime said, "That was a very rude way of putting it"

"Whatever," Almond continued, "Anyways, so the guy had gotten up to pee, leaving his campmates behind. However, he never returned."

Some people sighed.

"What a cliché ghost story" Someone said.

"Yeah, tell something less cliché and stupid!" Someone else said.

"Guys!" Almond called, "I'm not done. If I'd left it there it'd so cliché that I'd have cried"

"Good." Someone said, "Cliché stories suck"

Almond cleared his throat, "So," he continued, "After a few minutes when the guy didn't return, one of his campmates went after him. That man never returned either. A few minutes later the last man went out to search for them, wondering if the Grimm had gotten to them. However, as he wandered farther and farther out into the darkness, he lost track of where he was, and eventually could no longer find where the camp was. Hours went by, and not once did he ever see his comrades again…"

All of sudden he was cut off again, "That's still pretty cliché"

"Totally cliché"

"Such cliché, much wow"

"Guys!" Almond called again, "Please, I'm still not done"

"Well go on then," someone said, "finish your cliché story"

Almond cleared his throat, "So," he continued, "He never saw his comrades again, however, sometimes he felt like their ghosts were speaking to him, guiding him along. Days seemed to go by, and the sun never rose. Until one day, when the Grimm arrived."

Someone sighed.

"The Grimm, however, did not attack him. Instead, they took him under their wing, literally. He began to live from then on with the Grimm, specifically a nest of Nevermores. The sun never did rise for him again, but it is said that he still lives with the Grimm, and worships them, with an army of the beasts at his command"

Everyone was silent.

"That was an interesting tale of fiction, Almond" Lime said.

"It's not fiction," Almond said, "it's true"

"Oh please." Hippo said beside me, "The sun never rising for one person ever again? Puh-lease"

"It's true!" Almond burst out, "I know it is"

"How do you explain the sun never rising again?" Hippo challenged, "It was up just a few hours ago"

"For _him_," Almond replied, "the sun never rose for _him_, and him alone"

"How?" Someone else asked.

"The Grimm infection," Almond replied, "obviously, it makes you see things the way the Grimm do"

"The Grimm infection is just a stupid wife's tale to scare children out of hunting" Someone said.

"No its not!" Almond burst out.

"Almond!" Lime snapped, "Quiet down!"

"It's true" Almond said.

"Not everyone believes that" Lime said.

"Well they should," Almond said, "because it's true"

Lime didn't know what else to say, and no one else said anything. Clapping her hands together, Professor Acid told everyone to head to bed.

Everyone stood, finishing off their suppers as they walked to their tents, leaving the fire to burn itself out.

Undoing my green cloak and laying it down on the ground by my sleeping bag, I lay down and got into the bag itself.

"That kid though," Hippo said, "Almond, he's so dumb. You don't believe it, right?"

I pulled my sleeping bag over my body, "I don't know," I replied, "after all, I don't have any proof against it"

"But it's a stupid idea," Hippo said, "I mean, how could a Grimm, a living thing, produce a virus like that?"

"Who ever said the Grimm are living?" I asked, "Besides, there are plenty of plants that release viruses"

"Whatever." Hippo said, "You know what I'm talking about, right?"

"I do," I replied, "but I don't think that your evidence is good enough"

Hippo sighed, "So you do believe in it?" He asked.

"I never said that." I replied, "I'm neutral towards it right now. There is no strong evidence in either one's favor"

Hippo rolled over in his bed, "Good night Grizzly" He said.

"Good night" I said, closing my eyes and slowly drifting off to sleep.

* * *

The next morning we awoke early in the morning. It was still somewhat dark, but we were able to see well enough to pack everything up, eat breakfast, and continue walking.

The hours once again dragged by, the same as the day before. However, I found myself thinking about the story Almond had told the night before. Was it possible for people to be infected by the Grimm? There wasn't anything against it, nor was there anything supporting it (other than Almond's story, of course, but it's hardly evidence).

In the distance I saw a large, tall pile of rocks.

"We're almost there," Lime announced, "just up that cliff"

However, as we continued to walk I thought I saw something moving in the distance. Some others seemed to do the same, whispering amongst themselves.

"What's that?" Hippo asked, leaning over to me and pointing.

I shook my head, "Not sure" I replied.

"Well," He started, "focus. Figure it out"

Staring hard at the shape in the distance, I tried to activate my semblance. My semblance was called 'focus'. It allowed me to focus on one thing and raised my senses towards it dramatically. It was convenient for fighting, but oftentimes I'm only able to focus on one opponent at once. It's good for writing tests though, as I can dedicate every part of myself to getting one-hundred percent.

My eyes began to glow yellow as I focused (it's a side-effect of using it). Soon the light began to drift off my eyes, as if they were on fire.

I focused on the shape in the distance, starting to make out what it. I deactivated my semblance, realizing what it was. It was a person.

"Well?" Hippo asked.

"It's a person" I replied.

It was a woman to be more specific. She wore an old brown jacket and faded blue jeans. Her head was covered by a hood, but I could tell that she had pink hair.

Catching up with Lime, I told her what the shape was.

"A person?" She asked, "Perhaps we should go speak with her"

"I'll go" I volunteered.

"Go right on ahead" She said. Despite being a huntsman in training I was very capable of defending myself, and Lime knew that, which was why she allowed me to go ahead alone.

Turning back in the woman's direction, I started running forward. Reaching her, I saw that she wasn't much taller than I was.

"Are you alright miss?" I asked. She seemed to be hunched over and gripping her gut.

She didn't reply.

"Miss?" I started, "We're on our way to Barcombe, is there anything we can help you with?"

Just then she dashed forward, grabbing my shoulders, "Don't you dare go there!" She cried.

"Why?" I asked.

"They'll kill you," she replied, "They're Grimm worshippers. Hunters like you will be killed"

"How did you know I was a huntsman?" I asked her, changing the subject.

"Your pistols give it away" She replied.

Glancing down at myself, I realized for the first time how windy it was. My green cloak was blowing behind me, revealing Barbed Gustav, my dual pistols.

"Whatever. What do you mean by 'Grimm worshippers'?" I asked.

"As in they believe that we, as hunters, are evil because we hunt the Grimm" She replied.

"That's absurd" I said.

"But it's true," she replied, "They just tried to kill me!"

"Prove it" I challenged.

I was surprised when she opened her jacket and lifted her shirt just enough for me to see a stitched up wound on her abdomen. It looked fairly recent, and barely healed. Dry blood surrounded its choppy edge.

"Whoa" was all I could say.

"The people who stitched it up were killed because they helped me." She added, "Please, don't go there"

I paused to think, then grabbed her hand and dragged her back to the group. "You can talk with Professor Lime about this" I said.

Reaching the group, I sent her to Lime, when I tried to introduce them, I felt myself fall short of knowledge.

"Uh, what was your name miss?" I asked the pink-haired woman.

"Nicole" She replied.

I nodded and turned to leave.

"Nicole Rozovyy?" Lime asked.

"That's me" Nicole replied.

"We were called as your reinforcements. What happened?"

"They were Grimm worshippers," Nicole replied, "They think that we're the evil ones"

"Then what about the call for protection?" Lime questioned.

"It's a trap." Nicole replied, "They lure hunters to their village and kill them. It's extremely inefficient but it's what they do"

Lime stared at Nicole for a long while, trying to decide whether or not to trust her.

"Prove it" She finally decided.

Nicole showed her the scar, and after extended inspection Lime deemed it not to be a wound inflicted by the Grimm.

Looking up and around the group of waiting students, Lime tried to decide on her next course of action.

"We don't kill people," Lime said to Nicole, staring at us while she spoke, "unless we absolutely have to." Turning back to her, she said, "We'll have to turn around. Not help these people. You okay with that?"

Nicole nodded, "Absolutely" She replied. I could see what Lime was trying to do. She did it to all the time. She would tell us the consequences of lying, and then ask us if we're okay with it. Oftentimes it guilt-tripped us into telling the truth if we were lying.

"Alright then," Lime announced, turning back to the group, who was already paying attention to her conversation with Nicole, "we're turning around. No testing today!"

There were mixed sighs of annoyance, sadness, and relief. I was one of the sad people. I loved hunting the Grimm.

Turning around as a group, we headed back the way we'd came.

Nicole started walking with us, hanging back. I slowed until I walked next to her.

"Hi," I said, holding out my hand, "I'm Grizzlibear, Grizzly for short"

She looked at my hand for a second, then reached out and shook it, "Nicole," She replied. "But you already knew that"

"It's more official this way" I pointed out.

She smiled, "Right" She replied.

For the first time I saw the two identical suitcases in her hands. Somehow I'd missed them. I was about to ask about them, but decided that it would be rude to ask right away.

"So did you hear about the Hunter's Tournament in a few months?" I asked.

"Yeah" she replied.

"You entering?" I asked. "Or are you not even a huntress?"

She nodded, "I am a huntress." She replied, "And I may be entering. You?"

"Yep"

"Aren't you a little young?"

"Apparently I show exceptional skill in hunting. I've already been accepted into Beacon Academy"

"Really?" She asked, "How old are you?"

"Fifteen" I replied.

"Two years early." She said, "Well done"

"So did you go to Beacon?" I asked.

She shook her head, "I attended Haven in my youth" She replied.

"You say that as if you're super old or something"

"Well," she started, "I'm older"

"Older than me, probably not much more though"

She smiled, "Okay" She said sarcastically.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing"

"Whaddya mean 'nothing'? You are clearly implying something"

"Maybe" She replied.

"How old are you?" I asked.

"That's very rude to ask, considering we've only just met" She said.

I smiled, "Right" I replied.

Nicole glanced over at me for a second, curiosity clear in her eyes, then she turned forward again.

"What?" I asked, looking over at her again.

"Grizzlibear!" Lime called back, "Hurry it up!" Looking up, I realized that we had fallen quite far from the group.

"Come on!" I told Nicole, charging forward.

She smiled, then ran after me.

* * *

**Like I said, not very exciting right? No epic climactic fight or anything, but don't worry, Grizzly will be a few fights before his time is over. **

**If you guys remember way back to Pink I you will remember Nicole, and I hope that you all do remember her because she's one of the main characters in the later parts. **

**Also, Grimm infection. Like it or not, this will come up again, and although I don't like it very much either, it's an idea that supports part of this story so I've decided to incorporate it in. **

**I'll try to have another chapter up by this Monday, which hopefully won't be too hard, but if I don't then it will be up quicker than this one. I haven't done very much writing this break, despite having loads of time to do so. **

**Anyways, as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter. **


	27. Orange I Chapter 1

**Hello and welcome back everyone! Once again, sorry about the last chapter's lateness. I made sure that this one was on-time, despite this feeling weird to me, to be uploading chapters so close to each other. But that's my own fault. **

**This is the first chapter of Orange I. We're finally almost done Part 1! Orange I is only three chapters long, but its more interesting then you may think. Not this chapter in particular, but more stuff starts to connect, which may or may not be interesting for some of you. It was fun for me to start connecting stuff. **

**Anyways, let's get on with it.**

* * *

I awoke early in the morning, stretching my thin arms and looking around the village that I slept in. I slept outside my family's hut.

I reached up and patted my head. My hair was still there, unfortunately, and pulling a bit of it down in front of my face, I saw its orange color. Sighing, I fell back down on my pile of long grasses.

"Viridianai!" My mother called, "Get out of bed!"

I started to get up again.

"Now!" She called, "Hurry it up!"

She wasn't like this to my older sister. She treated her very well, actually. All because she had blue hair. I thought it was stupid that people were judged based on their hair color in Nalak, but it was the way it was, and I wasn't allowed to go against that. Especially someone like me.

Standing up from my bed, I found my mother waiting a little ways away. She stared crossly at me.

"What took so long?" She asked.

"Sorry" I replied.

"I didn't ask for your apology, I asked for your reason" She said.

"I was tired, so I fell over and tried to fall asleep" I replied.

She smacked me over the back of the head, "Quit doing that," She demanded, "I've done everything for you. You're lucky to still be here"

"I know, I know" I replied.

"Don't you 'I know' me, you don't know, you little runt" She said.

"Alright" I said. I knew that saying 'I know' again would set her off, and saying anything against her would do the same.

"You know the routine" Mother said, turning around and leaving.

I walked over to the tree behind her and sat down at the base. This was my life, simply because of my orange hair. Here in Nalak people are judged by the hair color. People with white hair are said to be pure and good, whereas people with blue hair (like my sister) symbolize water, or resources and materials. They are 'more likely' to collect good resources and keep the village living. My parents believed that I'd have green hair, which symbolized life and fertility. Instead I was born with orange hair. Orange was a symbol of demons, meaning that I would bring bad luck and taint everything. It wasn't as bad as red, which symbolized the devil himself, or black, which symbolized death, but I was still pretty bad in the eyes of Nalak law. And because of that I wasn't allowed to work, because I might 'taint' the crops or anything else that I touch.

The council of Nalak had been discussing what to do with me, after my father had begged them to. My mother claimed to have done everything she could, but she had been content with my execution. The council was still discussing what to do, as they had been for days now.

In the meantime I was to sit on the side and taint the tree I leaned against. It wasn't particularly big, nor did it bear fruit, so in the eyes of the council it meant nothing to anyone.

As the day dragged on people walked by, casting me scowls of disgust or looks of hatred. It made me feel terrible, like I'd done something wrong. It wasn't my fault that I was born.

"Go die you wretch!" A child yelled at me before running off. I watched the kid leave, then tucked myself up into a ball. This was my routine for the past several years, and I'd never gotten used to it.

I hated having to sit on the side and not do anything. I felt useless, and I didn't like feeling useless. I was old enough to work, but I wasn't allowed to.

"Tsk," I heard someone say, "embarrassing"

I looked up, "It's not my fault that I was born!" I cried, "I didn't choose this!"

The person ignored me. Everyone did. The only time that they didn't was to make fun of me.

"You could have gone back into mommy" someone said. I turned. It was Zipporah, my older sister. "Then come out later with new hair"

"That's not even possible!" I retorted.

"Prove it!" Zipporah challenged.

I couldn't prove it, but it sounded absurd.

"Ha!" She said, flicking my forehead, "Idiot" she turned and walked away. I started to reach out and grab her, but stopped myself. If I attacked (or even touched) anyone I'd definitely be executed. I'd learned to control myself much better than most people my age, even better than my sister who wanted nothing but for me to be killed.

But I refused to go down without a fight. The system of Nalak was stupid in my opinion. I'd had lots of time to think about it and was probably smarter than most of my older peers. I planned to prove myself to the council and show how good I could be, orange hair or not.

Sitting down and curling up into a ball again, I let the hours drag by. At the end of the day I was given only a little bit of food to eat before I was sent to my small bed of grass to sleep.

The next day was similar; I awoke later than everyone else, then was sent to my tree. People scowled and called me names, but I ignored them.

Then something changed: a Nalak elder exited the council's discussion hut. I didn't notice, as I was too distracted with my head in my arms. However, when I heard the scratchy voice of the elder I glanced up, seeing him talking to my father.

"We've been discussing." The elder started. _You got that right_, I thought. "And we have decided to give Viridianai a chance. However, one slip up and she's to be executed"

My father nodded, "Thank you, sir" he said, reaching out and shaking the elder's hand.

When the elder left my father turned to me and smiled. I smiled back.

"Did everyone hear that?" The elder announced to the rest of the village, "Treat her as one of our own!"

All of a sudden the village broke out into shouts. "She'll taint the crops!" "She'll destroy the huts!" "She'll infect the food!"

The elder cleared his throat, taking in all the complaints, before announcing, "Quiet!" very loudly, "At this rate there won't be any animals to infect! Quiet down! Now," he lowered his voice, "I expect you to treat her with as much respect as you would anyone else. Adelbert, find your daughter some work to do"

My father nodded, "Right" he replied, turning to me and indicating for me to follow him. I stood and followed him to the farms, where he showed me how to plant seeds in the ground after it'd been plowed.

At the end of the day my hands were dirty and stiff, and my back ached from bending over so much, but I was satisfied. I could finally work and be helpful.

Lying down on my new bed in the family hut, I fell asleep very quickly. _Tomorrow will be another good day_, I thought as I lay in my bed.

* * *

**Remember the village of Nalak? If not, that's where Wintanweorth Coal is from (White I). **

**This chapter wasn't horribly exciting. Editing it was pretty boring, but we have to do these introduction chapters before we get into anything interesting. I'm sure that most of you can see what's going to happen next, but if you don't then I won't spoil it for you. **

**Also, the day I uploaded Green I Chapter 2 I finished Orange I, which was the first time I did any writing over Spring Break (which is now over), then after that I started Part 2: HellFall, which was a lot of fun. I hope that you guys are excited for it because I sure am. But you'll still have to wait. Once I finish Part 1 I'll be taking a break from posting so that I can get ahead in Part 2, then have lot's of chapters that I can post. But who knows? Maybe I'll get bored and post early (I'll try to keep my promise not to though)**

**Anyways, that's it. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies or don't if you don't want to. And I will see you all in the next chapter.**


	28. Orange I Chapter 2

**Welcome back everyone! I don't have much to say in this intro so we'll get right into it shortly. But before we do, I just want to give you all a fair ****WARNING**** (caps for attention): This chapter is the most gruesome and potentially bloody one thus far. If you want to skip the violence (its clear when it starts), then go ahead. I'll summarize the important bits at the end. Of course, if you have a stronger stomach or you're a psychopath and like violence, then don't pay this warning any attention.**

**Now let's get on with it.**

* * *

Weeks went by, and I continued to work. People hated me still, and treated me as such, but at least I was doing what I wanted to. Zipporah bothered me the most, but that was to be expected. She was my older sister after all.

"Viridianai," Father started as we worked, "your dragging behind"

"Sorry," I said, speeding up, "You're digging so fast"

"Well, we need to speed up," he said, "winter's coming, and we need to get these seeds in the ground pronto"

"Right" I replied, planting the seeds quicker.

"Tsk" the planter across from me said. He was a ways ahead of me, but I still heard him.

"What?" I asked.

"With you working the seeds we won't have them in the ground in time and we'll all starve." He replied, "Bad luck, I say"

I frowned and planted the seeds even quicker, but still carefully. I'd had people say things like that to me, but when I tried to prove them wrong I sacrificed quality for speed. I needed to plant the seeds properly. They grew best that way.

Starting to catch up to the other planter, I smiled with pride. My back and hands ached more than usual, but nevertheless I was proud of myself.

The man looked up, saw how far along I was, and turned back to his work with a look of frustration on his face.

I snickered inwardly at his frustration. The last time I'd snickered out loud the others got very mad at me. I learned to keep much of my emotion inside, instead of expressing it and putting everyone on edge.

The day ended, and I'd planted everything that I needed to. Sitting down with my family in our hut, I ate dinner with them. It wasn't my favorite thing to do, as my mother and sister both still despised me. Mother tried to cover it up, but it was still obvious. I wasn't stupid. Zipporah was much blunter about it.

"You have food on your face!" Zipporah announced, staring at my mouth.

"So?" I asked.

"It's a bad omen!" She replied, staring hard at my mouth, "I see death! Death everywhere!"

"Oh please," I said, "you can't read fortunes with food"

"Prove it" Zipporah challenged.

"Girls," Father said, "Please stop"

I looked over at my mother, who sat eating her food, not even looking at us. Sighing, I went back to my food. She was so uninvolved with us, ever since I was welcomed into the village as a member and not just a burden.

Finishing my food I laid down in my bed to sleep. My arms and back were sore, and the pain helped put me to sleep. Then I felt the pain sharpen in specific parts of my body.

Turning over, I saw Zipporah poking my back.

"Zipporah!" I whispered, "Stop that! It hurts"

She didn't stop.

"Zipporah!" I spoke up, still a whisper.

"You don't want to wake everyone up, do you?" She asked, "Quiet!"

"Then stop that!"

"Make me"

I bit back my urge to get physical and attack her. Instead I turned to other cheek and tried to sleep. She kept poking me, so I moved my bed farther from her. When she finally stopped I started to fall asleep.

Just then I felt her driving her finger into my back. It hurt very badly.

"Stop!" I called, still in a whisper.

"Shh!" She hushed me.

"You shh!" I retorted.

"I didn't say anything" Zipporah pointed out.

"Yes you did"

"No I didn't"

"Yes you did"

"When?"

"Just now"

"You're the one talking dingus!"

"Shh!"

"Shut up!"

"Only if you will"

"You started it"

"Idiot, you did!"

She gasped, "How dare you?!" She asked, "If anyone's the idiot, you are! I'm telling"

"Fine!" I replied, rolling over in my bed.

A moment later she smacked my back. It stung harshly, and I almost screamed, but bit it back. Instead I spun around and tackled Zipporah to the ground.

"Get off me, you demon!" She cried, still in a whisper.

"You're the demon!" I replied, grabbing her neck and squeezing as hard as my little hands would allow.

"Let go of me!" She choked, not whispering anymore, "I'll, tell!"

I pressed my thumbs into her neck, "Try telling now!" I wasn't whispering anymore either.

I dug my fingernails into her neck, drawing blood. She choked, then grabbed my small arms and threw me aside.

Sitting up, I saw her standing over me, gripping her bloody neck. "I'll kill you demon!" She cried, "I'll banish you from the world!"

I grabbed her legs, knocking her over. She reached down and grabbed my frail legs. Squeezing and bending them, I felt them snap. Hot blood dripped from my legs, and I screamed. Opening my mouth, I bit her ankle. She screamed in pain.

Switching sides, I grabbed her neck again, pressing her face against the ground.

I heard my mother and father yelling at me, but I didn't listen. She deserved this. She screamed in pain, reaching up and grabbing my arms. Before she could throw me off I bit down on the nape of her neck and held on. As she pulled me off I ripped a piece of her neck off with me.

She screamed, tried to stand, then fell, blood dripping heavily from her mouth and neck. She gave a few final twitches, then fell silent.

I was panting, lying before her on my broken legs. Just then pain shot through my legs. Glancing back, I saw that she'd almost ripped both of them off. All that physical labor from the past few years had clearly paid off for her.

Looking down at my arms, I saw that they were scarred and bloody from her fingernails when she'd pulled me off her.

Glancing up now, I saw my father with his hand over his mouth, and my mother crying over Zipporah's dead body.

"Viridianai…" Father whispered, staring at me in shock.

By now the whole village had begun to gather.

"I knew it!" Someone announced, "She is the devil's seed!"

The elders pushed through the crowd to see what had happened. With the bloody nape still hanging out of my mouth and Zipporah's body before me it was pretty obvious what had happened.

One elder, the one who had announced my welcome, stared at me, shame in his face. It was likely that he had convinced the rest of the elders to give me a chance.

"I gave you a chance" He said, the rest of the elders now looking up as well.

I didn't say anything; I sat in shock as well.

"And you squandered it" the elder added.

"What would drive you to do such a thing?" Another elder asked.

"She," I started, not sure how to word it, "she made me crack"

"She was your sister for crying out loud." The elder said, "What could drive you to do something this horrible to your sister?!"

"The devil!" Someone called out from the crowd.

To my sadness, the elder nodded. "Yes," he replied, "truly you are a demon. There is no question about it; you will be executed"

Tears fell from my cheeks, splashing on the bloody nape, which now lay before me.

"Cordierite!" The elder called. A man with blue hair and tan skin stepped out from the crowd. He had a thin face and a strong build. "You know what to do"

He nodded, then walked to me and picked me off the ground. I didn't resist, as I had no strength left to do so.

As he walked me to the prison, which was just a very deep hole in the ground, he said, "I actually had faith in you. I thought you could change things. I guess that I was wrong"

I cried even harder. I didn't realize that more people than just my father and the elder believed in me. However, I knew that either way the outcome would have been the same.

As Cordierite brought me down a ladder into the hole-prison, I accepted my punishment in my mind, but continued to cry anyway.

* * *

**So there you have it. I'm not sure what you guys thought of the fight, but editing it today was kind of gross (if that's the right word) even for me. **

**Important Bits: Zipporah was annoying Viridianai so much that she 'cracked', and attacked her. Zipporah managed to scratch Viridianai's wrists, as well as almost break her legs off (as in they were hanging on by only skin, the bone was broken). Viridianai eventually causes Zipporah's neck to bleed in two places and kills her. **

**Once again, I don't have much to say here either, other than that this is the second last chapter of Orange I before we get into Part 2. **

**And as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to and I will see you all in the final chapter of Orange I, Part 1: Prologue**


	29. Orange I Chapter 3

**Hello everyone and welcome back! Sorry that this was a bit late, I'm pretty sick right now and I have a pretty bad headache. I actually didn't think that I'd get this up until next week, but my headache's getting much better so I managed to get it up mostly on time. **

**Also, I think that I should put another WARNING at the beginning of this one because even though it isn't nearly as bad as the last chapter it features a fair amount of cruelty. So if your sensitive to that unfortunately it's harder to not read over but just prepare yourself for that.**

**This is the final chapter of Part 1 so let's just get on with it.**

* * *

I awoke in the morning, surrounded by drying blood. My legs were still as they were, almost broken off and bloody. The wound was likely infected by now. My wrists stung from the scars, and my whole body ached.

It was likely that I'd be executed as soon as today, and as late as tomorrow. The executioners may leave me to rot a little longer, or they may kill me quickly. I'd prefer it if they did it today, before the infection killed me. I wanted to die quickly, not slowly and painfully. Of course if they knew that they'd make sure my life was a living hell before finally killing me. As usual, I decided to keep my mouth shut.

A few hours later I was dragged out of the hole and set down away from the village, in our small amphitheater. I'd have a public execution, I knew that now. A large guillotine was set up at the bottom of it, on the stage.

I sat at the top of it, overlooking the few seats and large blade.

"Looks intimidating, doesn't it?" Someone asked. I turned, seeing Cordierite looking over me. "Don't worry, its quick and mostly painless. Or at least, that's what I think it is. The blade moves pretty quickly"

I turned back to look at it.

"Ermenegildo's going to be taking care of things from here." Cordierite said, "I'll be back later"

He stepped aside, revealing a larger man, who was likely Ermenegildo. He had long golden hair and was very muscular.

"I doubted you from the start missy, and I am not going easy on you" He said. His voice was very rough.

I turned to see him drag me away to a stone building. The blacksmith's building. He set me down against the anvil as he grabbed a long metal stick from the fire. The end of it bent and formed a rectangle. It was orange and clearly very hot.

"We use these to brand the cattle," he said, "and I'm going to do the same to you"

He bent down and ripped my raggedy clothes off my small, broken body, then stuck the brand into my side. It sizzled and hurt severely. I tried to resist screaming, but that proved to be very difficult. Smoke drifted up to my face as I screamed.

When he finally finished and placed the hot brand back into the oven, I collapsed, trying to catch my breath. Then something seemed to take over me. _I don't deserve this_, I thought, reaching out with my sore hands and trying to crawl away. _No one deserves this, especially not me. I didn't do anything to deserve this! She was asking for it!_

"Naughty girl" Ermenegildo said, grabbing my ankle and trying to pull me back. My foot broke off, and fresh blood started to leak out. It hurt, but for some reason I kept going.

I heard him draw out the hot iron, then he stuck it into my right shoulder blade. I screamed in pain, stopping where I was. He grabbed me by the hair and dragged me back to the anvil.

"You got no legs," he observed, "well, mostly none" He reached down and ripped the other foot off. I winced in pain. It didn't hurt too badly, as it was already mostly gone. "There you go" he said, raising the iron and burning the newly opened wounds on my legs. It hurt, but I knew that it would stop the bleeding faster.

"What's going on?" Cordierite asked, stepping into the building.

"She was being bad," Ermenegildo replied, "so I gave her an extra brand"

"An extra?" Cordierite asked, looking down at me. I looked up at him with pleading eyes, hoping that he wasn't allowed to do that. "Give her another, just to make sure" He said before leaving.

"My pleasure" He said, pulling the branding iron out from the oven once again and branding the right side of my neck base. I screamed in pain.

"Also," Cordierite turned back around, "Her hands. Finish the job for Zipporah, will you?"

Ermenegildo looked at my scarred wrists, "Of course" he replied. Cordierite then left.

My hands were brought up onto the anvil and tied down. "This shouldn't take too long." He said, pulling out a large axe, "Zipporah would want me to finish this job, don't you think? I'd better do a good job of it for her" To my knowledge he had no connection to Zipporah at all, so this was just a poorly thought out excuse to justify what he was about to do.

As he raised the axe over his head, I prepared myself for the worst. Ermenegildo finished the job quickly, severing my hands in a single hit, then burning them to stop the bleeding. I felt like I could barely scream at this point, yet I still managed to the whole time.

After all this I was dragged back to the amphitheater and set down with my head in position in the guillotine. At this point even if I wanted to escape I couldn't. My hands and feet were gone, and with Ermenegildo watching me there was no way I'd escape without bruises or even another brand.

Word of the execution had clearly spread, because the whole village was soon seated in the theater to watch.

Cordierite stepped up to the stage, dismissing Ermenegildo to watch among everyone else.

He stood, looking over the crowd, then reached for the switch that would release the blade. I looked around at everyone, seeing my parents among the crowd. They were so neutral that I almost cried. All my pain emotion was spent at this point, so I could barely conjure up a single tear.

_This is it_, I thought, closing my eyes,_ my life is over_.

Just then there was a sound in the distance.

Everyone turned, including me, to see a woman standing and looking over us from the village. She wore a black suit that was covered in packages. The suit was tight and showed her slim figure. She had long black hair and yellow glowing eyes.

"Who are you?" Cordierite called.

A smile spread across her face, and she raised her hand. Fire burst from it, and just like that, the amphitheater burned. The whole village burned. People ran to and fro, but each died by the hand of the mystery woman. Cordierite tried to finish killing me, but was soon cast aside by a blast of flame. The stage collapsed, and so did the guillotine. I fell to the burning stage, looking around. It had only been seconds since the woman had appeared, and already everything was destroyed, burning and collapsed. _Who is this woman?_ I thought.

Just when I thought it was all over, I heard a voice. I couldn't make out what it said, but later heard explosions. Several seemingly smaller explosions than the ones before that had destroyed the village. I didn't think too much on it, as I was slowly slipping away. My execution turned out to be much more exciting than I'd initially anticipated, but I would die either way.

Looking up, I saw a figure standing amongst the fire of the village. It was looking around, a long sword in its hand. Its head stopped, seeming to stare in my direction, then it slid down the small hill to the amphitheater and charged into the fire.

_What are you doing?_ I thought. I saw it emerge from the fire before me and reach down. By now I realized that it was a man. I tried to reach up with my stub of an arm, but soon lost the strength to hold it up any longer. The man caught it before it fell, then pulled me up into his arms and started running. Almost immediately my consciousness slipped away.

* * *

I awoke lying on something soft. Opening my eyes slowly, I saw an oddly colored ceiling above me. Trying to sit up, I looked around. The walls were yellow and very smooth looking. I was lying on something large and squishy, but I couldn't identify what it was.

"Oh," someone said, "Your awake" I recognized the voice, despite not understanding the words he'd spoken before.

"Where am I?" I asked, surprised that I had the strength to speak.

"This is my apartment." The man replied, "Believe it or not, but you're in the city"

"The city?" I asked.

The man nodded, "Atlas, to be exact"

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I chose to save you" the man replied.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I'm like you, in a way." He replied, "I'm a Nalakian. My name's Wintanweorth Coal"

I looked around the room, then down at the thing I was lying on.

"What is this?" I asked.

"A bed." Wintanweorth replied, "It's different from yours, right? It's much more comfortable though"

There was a pause.

"So what happened to you?" He asked.

I thought for a second, then everything returned to me. I looked up in shock and fear, covering my orange head, "Are you going to kill me?" I asked.

"Why would I-?" Wintanweorth started, "Oh, no. Here in the city we don't believe in that kind of stuff. Hair color is a good thing about us, no matter what color it is"

I sighed with relief.

"So what's your name?" He asked.

I paused to think, having trouble remembering. Viridianai. That was it. Remembering the fire and the woman, however, I realized that that name didn't suit me. I wasn't green, I was orange.

"Ember." I replied, "My name is Ember Bronze."

* * *

**So there you go, the last chapter of Orange I as well as Part 1: Prologue. Around the end of this part as you can tell the characters started meeting up a bit more, which I liked putting in. The timing may be a little confusing though, but this part of the story takes place more around when Azure I did. Not exactly, but more around, because in Part 2 Ember is about 17 years old, which will make Wintanweorth a lot older than I expected. I guess I really didn't think this through as well as I thought I had. **

**Anyways, now I really want to hear from you guys. I won't be posting another chapter for probably about another month so that will give you guys time to write a full-length book-long (or shorter if you want) review on the story. Not just on this chapter, but I want to hear your overall thoughts on the story. What did you like? What did you dislike? What can I improve on? And any other questions you can think of to answer. I really want to hear your opinions so that I know what I should change and what I should keep for the next part so that it can be the best possible. I'd very much appreciate it from you guys. **

**Anyways, I guess that's it for now. So as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in Part 2: HellFall.**


	30. Crimson II Chapter 1

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall! We've finally entered Part 2: HellFall. It may be a confusing with the full title being HellFall Part 2: HellFall, but it'll make more sense in the later chapters. You've probably already figured out what it means though. **

**So there was about a month-long break and I got very little feedback from you guys. I was a little disappointed but whatever. You guys are still great for reading this thing. **

**For those of you who liked Gazini, we're returning to his perspective for the next seven chapters I believe. Everyone will have much longer color sections this time around as well. **

**Something you should take into account though is this: ****IMPORTANT**** (caps for attention) Now that we're in Part 2 I'll be using the colors sometimes to switch between perspectives more frequently, which means that sometimes a character will only receive one chapter, then the color will change. But fret not, for I will return to that color in a little while. At the end of Part 2 and probably at various points throughout the story (for example) I will return to Crimson II to switch back to Gazini's perspective. If if sounds confusing I apologize, I'm bad at explaining things, but it'll make sense once it actually happens.**

**Anyways, you good people have been waiting long enough for this, so let's get on with it.**

* * *

"And you say you found this where?" Thunder asked.

"Aldbay." I replied, "I'm not sure where the complex is exactly, but I could get back there if need be"

"Hmm." Thunder said, "Plan H. That's all that you know, correct?"

"That and that the Falls are behind it" I replied.

"The Falls?" He asked.

"Right" I replied.

"How do you know?"

"I talked to him." I replied, "He introduced himself as 'Mr. Fall'"

"Then how can you be sure that the Falls are involved?" Thunder asked, "What if it's just a single Fall?"

"I find it hard to believe that this is a coincidence, that Mr. Fall is off doing possibly evil things while Cinder Fall sits idly by" I replied.

"True." Thunder said, scratching his chin, "I'll have my top translators on this document immediately"

"If this does turn out to be a problem," I started, "I assume that you will get your best men on the case, correct?"

Thunder cocked his head, "My best men?" He asked.

"Yeah," I replied, "your do have soldiers on standby, right? Hunters?"

Thunder didn't reply.

"Please don't tell me you don't" I said.

"We have Atlesian Knights and Paladins, but that's it. Atlesian Knights, if this is a severe threat, cannot handle such a case"

"Then what about the Paladins?"

"They are weapons, not soldiers"

"Then put soldiers in them!"

"If this is as severe a threat as you believe it to be, then a hunk of metal will not help!" Thunder called, "We need someone experienced. That is, if this is as bad as you say. If the Falls are involved, we need the best of the best"

"How are we going to find those?" I asked.

Thunder paused to think, then looked up, his yellow eyes gleaming, "The Hunter's Tournament" He replied.

I nodded, "Good idea" I replied.

* * *

Several weeks later Thunder and I sat atop the highest point of the tournament audience, binoculars in hand. The sun beat against the back of my head, but Thunder wore a hat that blocked it.

"How does one fight in this weather?" Thunder asked, looking around at all the sweaty people gathered to watch the tournament.

"These are seasoned hunters," I said, "We have our ways"

Thunder paused for a moment, "We're enlisting you into the force as well. I assume that you're fine with that"

"Very," I replied, "I'd be happy to knock that Fall on his butt, especially after what he did"

"Good" Thunder said.

"So how long do these tournaments go on for?" I asked.

"You've never entered one?" Thunder asked.

"Nah," I replied, "I'm not particularly interested in fame"

"Hmm." Thunder said, "Well it usually lasts for several days. Depends on how long each fight is. Typically the first round takes a few days to get through on its own. As the tournament progresses, the rounds go slower, as everyone is pretty evenly matched"

"Interesting" I replied, squinting in the sunlight. "When does it start?"

Thunder glanced at his scroll for the time, "Anytime now I'd think"

Staring out over the arena, I saw that it was still completely empty. Then there was a loud, booming voice:

"WELCOME EVERYONE, TO THE ANNUAL HUNTER'S TOURNAMENT!"

Everyone clapped and cheered.

"HERE WE PIT THE BEST OF THE BEST AGAINST EACH OTHER, TO FIND OUT WHO TRULY IS THE STRONGEST IN THE KNOWN WORLD!"

_Not everyone_, I thought,_ not everyone enters in the first place. _

"NOW, ARE YOU READY TO WITNESS SOME AMAZING FIGHTS TODAY?!"

Everyone cheered.

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

_Get on with it!_ I thought.

Everyone cheered louder. My ears hurt.

"THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR!" He announced, "NOW, LET'S GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD!"

Everyone cheered again. I wanted to strangle somebody, it was so loud.

"AS YOU ALL KNOW, THESE ARE TEAM MATCHES!" the voice continued, "WHICH MEANS THAT FOUR PEOPLE WILL FIGHT AT ONCE, EACH ONE HAVING HOPEFULLY EXTENSIVE TRAINING WITH EACH OTHER!"

"Do you think we could get your team on board?" Thunder asked me.

I paused, "They probably signed up already." I replied, "Let me check" I pulled out my scroll and called the first of my teammates that showed up on my contacts, Hail.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Hail?" I asked, "This is Gazini, did-"

She cut me off, "Oh hey!" she called into my ear, "So you got our message then?"

"Message?" I asked.

"Yeah!" She replied, "We signed up for the tournament today! You in?"

"When did you send me this message?" I asked. I never checked my scroll for anything but the time, and even that was rare. Sometimes I wondered why I kept it.

"Uh," Hail grunted, as if the answer was obvious, "every year since we graduated. Are you finally going to join us this year?"

"Hold on." I put the scroll down and looked up at Thunder, "Turns out they already entered"

"Then get down there." Thunder said, "I'm dying to see you fight"

I returned the scroll to my ear, "I'll be down in a second" I decided.

"Yay!" Hail cried before I hung up.

Finding the nearest exit out of the watching area, I worked my way around to the sign-up desk at the front. The guy there was packing up.

"Everyone's already inside." He told me, "It's way too late to enter, buddy"

"He's with us" Hail said, appearing at entrance.

The man stared at her, then sighed, "What's your name?" He asked me.

"Gazini Void" I replied, "Team PHGG (fog)"

The clerk looked through his papers, found my name, and checked it off. "You've already signed the waiver so I'll let you in. Have a good day" Then he left.

Turning to my former teammates I frowned, "What waiver?" I asked.

They didn't reply.

"You forged my signature?" I asked.

"It's nothing," Hail said, "it's just stuff about not being responsible for your death and crap like that"

I frowned.

"Oh, don't be such a cry baby!" Hail exclaimed, wrapping her arms around me, "It's good to see you again"

I hugged back, "Good to see you too"

"So Gaz," Petunia Vaughan, the team leader said, "I see that you've changed your attire. Physically, you look almost the same, except that you're taller"

I smiled, "I wish I could say the same about you" I said.

Petunia smiled, "Oh shut up!" She said. Petunia had a reputation in our team as being one of the shortest people that we knew.

"What happened to your eye?" Gyro asked. Gyro was an older man, who'd failed the entrance exam into Beacon several times before finally getting accepted. He was accepted much later than most, and thus was one of the oldest students in the school at the time.

Hail stepped back, as she had still been hugging me. "I'll tell you later" I replied.

"Does it have to do with your future sight?" Hail inquired.

"Yes" I replied. That was my semblance. My eye could see up to twenty-four hours into the future. However, oftentimes I couldn't see more than a few minutes or even seconds into the future, and sometimes it didn't even work. It was convenient at times but very annoying others.

"I see that a lot of you haven't changed much" I commented, looking everyone over.

Hail wore a white turtle-neck sweater and a blue vest over it. She wore blue skinny jeans on her legs, and black and white sneakers on her feet. She had pale blue hair tied back in a ponytail, and brown eyes covered by black-rimmed glasses. In her ear she wore a small ear bud, which extended down to her mouth, where a small microphone sat. To top it all off she wore a silver necklace around her neck, with a small cylinder-shaped container attached to it. It was filled with a small amount of water.

Petunia wore a single light brown hoodie, with a yellow-white inside colored fabric, and dark blue jeans. She had red eyes and dark blonde hair, which was tied into five ponytails; two on the sides of her head, hanging in front of her and resting on her chest, and three on the back. Two on either side were about as long as her front ones and one long one right down the middle of her back. She had a very innocent face, and black strap tied around her neck with a bell at the front.

Gyro was the only Faunus in the team. He had a long black horse mane flowing out from the back of his neck to his lower back. It blended with his grey hair on the top of his head. He wore a black muscle shirt and a black jacket over it with yellow trim. Around his neck was a yellow bandana, and his yellow eyes were covered by black goggles with yellow trim. He wore heavy black cargo pants on his legs, which were tucked into his thick black boots.

"So do you use your semblance in battle now?" Hail asked me. Even back in Beacon, I refused to use my semblance while fighting. The sunglasses I used to wear blocked it completely. I believed heavily in fairness in battle, or at least I used to.

"Everything's fair in love and war" I replied.

"I don't agree with the love part particularly" Hail commented.

"Neither do I," I replied, "It's just a saying. If I were to say 'everything's fair in war' that would just make it sound like it was lacking something"

"True" Hail replied.

"So where are all your weapons?" I asked, noticing that they were all gone.

"You have to hand them to the clerk in there" Petunia replied, pointing inside. "See where it says 'TEAMS' and 'SINGLES'? Go to the teams' line and hand it in. They'll return it to you at the start of the fight"

"Thanks" I replied, stepping inside.

"You still carry around that heavy thing?" Gyro asked me.

"You still carry around your shovel Gyro?" I asked back.

"Steam" Gyro said.

"Sorry?" I asked.

"I go by my first name now. Steam"

"Right." I said, "You still carry around your shovel Steam?"

He smiled, "Yep" He replied.

I smiled as well before getting into the teams' line.

Looking over at the singles' line, I saw four people standing in it; a dark-skinned man with white hair in a tuxedo, a small green-cloaked boy, a young tan-skinned woman with orange hair, and a pale man in a black vest and grey hair. Four people.

"You guys could be in a team for the tournament" I pointed out to them.

They turned to me, then turned to each other. "That could work." The dark-skinned man said, "Thanks"

"No worries" I said, pulling Arkynshihn off my belt and handing it to the clerk at the desk.

"What team are you from?" The clerk asked.

"PHGG," I replied, "I'm Gazini Void"  
She quickly wrote it down, "Thanks" she said, taking Arkynshihn from my hands.

Leaving the line-up, I saw the four people I'd encountered starting to gather together. I wondered what would happen if they hadn't decided to form a team as I returned to my own.

"Quick question," I said when I returned, "what if someone came in without a team?"

"They'd find you a team before the tournament," Hail replied, "or send you in alone"

"Fun" I said sarcastically.

"It's been harder without you backing us up here." Petunia said, "The past few years"

"Right," I said, "Sorry about that. I never check my scroll"

"Well you really should." Hail said, punching my arm, "We weren't just teammates in Beacon, we're teammates for life."

* * *

**So when I edited this I realized that a part at the beginning of the chapter may have been a bit confusing. When Thunder needs translators for the Plan H file its because its written in code, so he's getting people to translate it into English. Its not another language or anything. **

**What do you guys think of Gazini's team by the way? Did you think that they'd show up?**

**Interesting Fact: HellFall was initially going to be called 'Blood and Fire'. Blood as in Gazini (his name means 'blood', thus his crimson color) and fire (after Ember, who was initially going to be the main character next to Gazini. Now its mostly Gazini though). However, I decided to change it when I looked at a bulletin board with a sign that read 'HELLO FALL', only the 'O' in 'HELLO' was a pumpkin. I didn't pick up on that and read it as 'HELL FALL'. After I did figure it out though, I realized that 'HELL FALL' sounded like a good book title, so I made it one word and renamed this story. **

**Also, this wasn't really intentional but I decided to mention it anyway. Can anyone spot the Black Cat reference? **

**Anyways, back to the usual stuff. Favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter.**


	31. Crimson II Chapter 2

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall! I really don't have anything to say this time so we'll just get right into it.**

* * *

"ARE YOU READY FOR SOME ACTION?!" The announcer's voice rang out. Oddly enough, I could barely hear it where I was.

"That voice was so loud up top" I commented.

"You were in the audience?" Hail asked.

"Yeah" I replied.

"Why?" She asked, "I thought that you didn't like these tournaments"

"I never said that" I replied.

"But you never show up either"

"Right"

"Geez Gaz," Petunia started, "how stupid did you think we were?"

"In all honesty I didn't think about you guys much" I replied.

"That hurts, Gaz," Hail gasped sarcastically, "It feels like my heart just exploded"

"Right," I replied sarcastically, "'cause you know what that feels like"

"So why are you here Gaz?" Steam asked, returning to the previous topic.

"Oh," I started, "I'm here on business. I probably should be getting back to my seat"

"Business?" Petunia asked, "Since when do you work?"

We chuckled a bit.

"There's some stuff that's been happening recently. Another person and I are trying to find the best hunters out there." I replied, "We're included in that list, most likely, so I'll have to tell you about it. But not now"

"Is it super-secret?" Hail asked, leaning forward and lowering her voice.

"Sure" I replied.

"So we've already been signed up for this…thing…and you didn't call us or anything?" Petunia asked.

"I didn't decide on this." I pointed out, "Plus _you're_ not all included, but I am, and I think that you guys would be a good addition"

Hail smiled, "Did you just think of that?" She asked.

"The idea only just popped into my head, yes" I replied.

"Well I want more details first" Petunia decided.

"Fair enough," I replied, "I'll explain it after the tournament. For now, put your all into the fights to prove yourselves to my comrade"

"Oh yeah," Hail started, "because we enter this tournament just to screw around and not put effort into our fights" She was being sarcastic of course.

I smiled, "Good" I said.

"ALRIGHT FOLKS! HERE ARE OUR FIRST FIGHTERS!" The announcer said, "ARE YOU READY?!"

Everyone cheered, but it was barely audible.

"HERE THEY COME!" He announced, "FIRST UP, WE HAVE TEAM VAIN GOING HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST TEAM ACID!"

Everyone cheered again.

"I have to get going." I told my team; "Call me when it's close to our fight" I turned to leave.

"Are you actually going to answer it this time?" Hail asked.

"I'll leave it on" I replied, pulling it out and switching it on.

Returning to the bleachers I sat down again with Thunder.

"So?" He asked.

"I'll be joining them this year," I replied, "for now I need to focus on business though"

Thunder smiled under his sunglasses and sunhat, "Good" he replied.

The announcer began to introduce each member of the teams. He was just finishing with team ACID.

"…AND IN THIS CORNER WE HAVE TEAM VAIN! LEADING THE CHARGE IS VEIL FAIRFAX, WITH HER TRUSTY TEAMMATES ANCHOR FRANCO, BARNABAS ITO, AND NICOLE ROZOVYY!"

I looked over at team VAIN, looking everyone over.

"Nicole's dressed for the occasion, eh?" Thunder commented.

I averted my eyes to who I believed to be Nicole. She wore a bright pink dress and a bright red vest over top of it. It revealed her shoulders and covering her arms were bright pink sleeves, unattached to her dress. Her bright pink hair was tied up in two ponytails protruding out of either side of her head. She held two identical brown suitcases in each hand.

"Assuming her weapon is in those cases" I said.

"Yes," Thunder replied, "I think that we can be certain of that"

"AND…BEGIN!" The announcer finally called.

Immediately weapons were drawn. Nicole wielded a long silver lance with a thick sword on the other end. I was surprised that she could even carry it, considering her size. She was very short and thin.

"I am so in love right now" someone beside me said. I understood him.

The other three held much different weapons. The leader, Veil Fairfax, held a long blue rapier. The details were hard to see from above, unfortunately. Anchor Franco held a large grey anchor in his hand, with the chain at the top wrapped around his arm. Barnabas Ito held an axe with two blades at the top, both with a triangular-shaped point at the end, instead of being round and sharp like most axes.

As the battle started the winner was obvious. Even without my eye, VAIN was the clear winner.

As the battles continued, I saw many promising teams. Some were met with defeat, others victory. I was surprised to see the team that I'd put together pull through with a victory. They called themselves team WRGE (rogue), and the members were Wintanweorth Coal, Roy Sho, Grizzlibear Karzen, and Ember Bronze.

As the announcer began to call out the next set of teams my scroll rang. Pulling it out, I saw that it was Hail.

"I'm on my way" I said, putting it up to my ear and standing to leave.

"Our fight is after these guys." Hail said, "We're giving you some extra time to prepare. Be grateful!" I could imagine her smiling on the other end.

"Yeah, yeah," I replied, making my way through the crowd to the entrants' area. Finding my team waiting for me there, I slipped in and waited. The next fight was one that I wouldn't be able to see, but whoever was the best would move on, so it wasn't particularly important to me.

"So how's your little bro doing?" Hail asked me while we waited, "Harrison, the little foxy kid"

I felt my eyes start to get wetter, like I was about to cry. "I'll tell you later" I replied, sucking back the tears.

"Did something happen?" Petunia asked.

"He died," I replied, "I'll explain it later"

The three gasped, "He died?!" Petunia exclaimed, "How?"

"We'll sit down and talk about it extensively after this." I replied, "I promise"

"We've got a lot of catching up to do" Steam remarked.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

I wiped my eyes quickly with my sleeve. I hadn't cried quite yet, but there was still some water there, and it blurred my vision.

We stood in silence for a while longer before the announcer's voice interrupted us.

"NOW, LET ME PRESENT YOU WITH THE NEXT SET OF TEAMS! FIRST UP WE HAVE TEAM CRDL (cardinal) AND TEAM PHGG!"

"That's us" Petunia said, heading to the exit gate.

"Petunia Vaughan!" Someone announced. She stepped forward and received her weapon. The rest of us did the same.

Standing at the gate we waited for it to open.

"Alright team," Petunia started, "think we should try out some of our old team combos and attack patterns?"

"They'd be too rusty." Steam said, "at least with Gazini here they would be"

I smiled, "Right," I replied, "Sorry. I'll try to go along with you guys as best I can"

"Or go solo entirely." Petunia suggested, "I hear you've been doing that recently"

"Right." I replied, "Well I'm sure that it'll all come back to me as the battle progresses"

Hail glanced at Arkynshihn, "With that thing?" She asked, "You used Risang back at Beacon. How are you going to do that?"

"I'll figure it out," I replied, "Besides; this thing isn't that heavy anymore"

"I mean in terms of range." Hail said, "You'll never reach anything with that stubby little blade"

"You may be surprised" I replied.

"Why did you get rid of Risang anyways?" Petunia asked.

"I didn't get rid of it," I replied, "I'm just, not using it anymore"

"Idiot" Hail said sarcastically.

"That's what I said when he first showed it to me" Steam said.

"You've seen that thing before?" Hail asked him.

Just then the gates opened.

"Of course," Steam replied, "we met a little while ago"

We stepped into the arena, "How far back?" Petunia asked, butting into the conversation.

"Back when I still went by Gyro," he replied, "I forgot to tell you guys. I may have been younger then, but still not young. My memory isn't what it used to be and it wasn't back then either"

"IN THIS CORNER, WE HAVE TEAM PHGG, WITH ITS FEARLESS LEADER, PETUNIA VAUGHAN," The announcer started, shaking me back into reality.

"Can we talk about this later?" I asked.

"Right." Petunia replied, turning forward, "We'll argue and catch up later"

"-WITH HER FEARLESS TEAMMATES, HAIL STROM, STEAM GYRO, AND GAZINI VOID!"

We stopped, looking across the arena at our opponents. I assumed that there was a waiting room for entrants on the other side as well.

"AND IN THE OTHER CORNER, WE HAVE TEAM CRDL(cardinal)! LEAD BY CARDIN WINCHESTER, AND ACCOMPANYING HIM ARE RUSSEL THRUSH, DOVE BRONZEWING, AND SKY LARK!"

Each of our opponents wore a suit of silver armor with a different color trim and symbol, other than Russel Thrush, who wore a dark green torn-sleeve vest and no shirt underneath, with black pants on his legs.

"ARE YOU READY?!" the announcer called, "AND, BEGIN!"

* * *

**The first fight in Part 2 is happening pretty early on, which may not be surprising to most of you. However, Part 2 focuses more on the characters themselves and less on the action. There will be plenty of story to come, of course, but for now the characters are the center of attention.**

**Its kind of interesting to return to Crimson II now, because I'm already into the third color of Part 2, with all the colors being a decent size. With all the writing I've been doing lately it feels like this chapter is late, even though I know it isn't. I've thought about posting an extra chapter a few times, but then realized that that would mean that I would have to break schedule, and with all the lateness I've already had I couldn't possibly hurt you guys with an early _and_ extra chapter.**

**So yeah, not much going on in the story for the next little while (or anything to talk about in these outros), but expect to climaxes of the colors to instead be the revealing of secrets and not an actual fight (sometimes it will be though, more around the end).**

**Anyways, that's about it, so as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to and I will see you all in next week's chapter.**


	32. Crimson II Chapter 3

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall! You've all waited so patiently for the fight that was about to happen last week so I'm just going to get right into it.**

* * *

All of a sudden team CRDL charged, their weapons raised above their heads. Cardin held a silver mace in his hand, with black blades stretching out from the top of the staff and curving inwards towards the center of it. Russel held two black dust-vial daggers. Dove held a silver-blue sword with a gun barrel at the end instead of a point. Sky Lark held a halberd with a black blade.

We, on the other hand, stood and waited for them to come to us.

Petunia's weapon was a thick silver sword with a purple edge. The sharp edge of the blade curved outwards, then dropped down in three places along the blade (jagged in three places). The blade was attached to a dust vial, and the guard of the sword was a +-shaped piece of grey metal facing upwards, with a spike sticking out from the ends of each part of the guard. The handle was laced with black fabric, and at the bottom of the handle was a silver ball. Inside the handle of the blade was a roll of thick black string which attached to the ball, allowing it to stretch out. Her blade was called Lacemeiyor.

Hail held a long black staff with a wide blade coming out from the side of the top. It was like a scythe, only the blade curved sharply downwards about a foot along the top of it, so it was more of a bladed hook. If she bent the bottom half of the staff it revealed a gun barrel at the end. A handle and trigger popped out in the crook of the blade, and a stock could pop out from the top of the staff. She had to load a magazine into it to make it a machine gun. The weapon was called Grim Winter.

Steam's weapon was one of my favorites. It was a shovel with a sharp spade and pointed tip. The spade of the shovel could bend outwards and spin. A small barrel would open up with the spade bent outwards, and a trigger would pop out from the wooden (very strong wood) handle. The bullet magazine was a short belt of bullets, which would load into the side of the handle and wrap around it. It was called the Gold Digger.

Team CRDL was nearly upon us. Petunia crouched and held Lacemeiyor upside down, as she often did.

"I'll take Cardin" Petunia decided.

"Russel" Steam said.

"Lark" I said.

"I guess I got Dove" Hail said.

CRDL was right in front of us. We charged, catching them somewhat off guard, and clashed blades. I was surprised at how quickly they were able to react to our sudden attack.

I pushed Arkynshihn against Lark's halberd. It was clear that he wouldn't be able to hold for long, as his feet were sliding through the dirt on the ground. But he kept going, which I admired.

I brought up my foot, kicking him in the shin. He skidded slightly, but my attack barely ruffled him.

Pulling blade abruptly away from his, he stumbled forwards, unprepared for the sudden move. Immediately I charged upon his weakness. He recovered quickly and sidestepped. Unfortunately for him, I saw it coming, and swung out to the side, crushing his arm and sending him to the ground.

Turning around, I swung again, extending my blade. He brought up his halberd and deflected the attack, but only barely. I swung again, he deflected it again. As he stood back up he continued to block my attacks, until he stood back on his feet and was able to switch back to the offensive.

Lark brought his halberd down hard on me. Foreseeing the attack, I sidestepped and swung, slashing into his gut. Luckily his aura was up and my blade merely passed through his body, barely scratching it. I swung twice more after that, each one deflected by his aura.

He swung his halberd downwards again. This time I caught it with my blade. He was in a good position, pushing my blade downwards while I had to hold it sideways. Bringing up my other hand, I pushed on the blade of Arkynshihn and started to push him back as well.

All of a sudden Steam rolled into Lark, knocking him aside. All the tension I'd built up against my blade was suddenly released, and I threw Arkynshihn into the air. Russel charged after Steam, who quickly stood back up and deflected his attack with a swipe of his shovel.

Lark stood, seeing my sudden weakness and charging. Drawing an arrow from the quiver attached to my sheath, I jabbed it upwards into his body when he reached me. It cracked and broke when it hit his aura coated armor, and I took the attack at full force. I was unable to foresee that attack unfortunately.

Flying backwards, I strengthened by aura and stuck my foot back, skidding against the ground and recovering. Lark was already on me, halberd raised. I stepped aside, avoiding the attack and bringing my fist down on the back of his head, causing him to collapse.

Turning, I found Arkynshihn lying on the ground and picked it up. Spinning to face Lark, I saw him still lying on the ground. _He must be unconscious_, I thought, turning around to face the last of CRDL.

Dove was lying defeated on the ground, and Russel was slowing down against Steam. Cardin was holding his own against both Petunia and Hail.

I charged in to help Steam finish off Russel. However, as soon as he saw me run in he became distracted, and thus Steam knocked him over the head with his shovel. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

We turned and charged in to fight Cardin now. When he saw us coming he swung his mace into the ground, shattering the earth before him and causing an explosion. I covered myself with my arms, protecting myself from the flying debris.

He knocked Hail back, then turned to me. He swung his mace sideways towards me. Knowing already that he would try that, I ducked before he even swung, then cut his legs, knocking him over.

As quickly as he'd fallen, he was on his feet again, fighting. Steam ran in, conking him over the back of the head with his shovel. He stumbled forward, where Petunia knocked him back with a blast of dust from her Lacemeiyor.

He fell to the ground, but before he could stand back up I was on him, my blade at his neck. He dropped his weapon and raised his hands, signalling defeat.

Pulling my blade back, I caught my breath. Looking around, everyone else was pretty exhausted as well.

"AND THE WINNER IS," the announcer started, "TEAM PHGG!"

Everyone cheered. I didn't like the feeling of being cheered for, but I put up with it. Hail, although out of breath, forced herself to smile and wave at everyone. She was clearly enjoying herself. Petunia was looking around the audience, panting. Steam was hunched over, puking on the ground. I leaned on Arkynshihn, breathing heavily.

"NEXT UP…" the announcer started, indicating that we could leave. Petunia turned to leave, and Hail waved and walked. I stayed behind to wait for Steam to stand up again. When he did we left.

When we re-entered the entrants' area we were directed to a place where we could rest and eat, and our weapons were taken from us again.

The place was a large cafeteria, only the food was free and self-served. Some teams sat on the couches lining the walls, while others sat at the tables and ate.

Hail and Steam went to get something to eat, while I flopped down onto one of the couches. Petunia dropped to the ground and started doing push-ups.

"Haven't you had enough exercise for one day?" I asked.

"If I stop exercising so abruptly, I'm more likely to have a heart attack." She replied, "I've told you this before"

"I know," I replied. "It's just surprising to see that you're still doing it"

"Why don't you join me?" She suggested. "You use to do it all the time back at Beacon"

"Sure" I replied, dropping, slower than she did, to the ground, and starting to do push-ups. As we did more and more we slowed down, allowing our hearts to slow down at a better pace.

"Just like the old days eh?" Hail asked, returning with her food.

"Yeah" I grunted, finishing my last push-up.

I stood up, seeing Hail and Steam already eating their food.

"Are you sure you can keep going Steam?" I asked, "You were puking pretty badly afterwards"

"I'm fine" He mumbled over a mouthful of food.

"He did the same last year," Hail explained, "nowadays he does it almost every time. Just one of the perks of getting old I guess"

"Is that good for him though?" I asked.

"Probably not," Steam swallowed, "but since when is puking good for anyone?"

"When you've eaten something you shouldn't have." I replied, "Maybe you shouldn't push yourself so much"

"He's useless if he doesn't push himself" Petunia pointed out.

"I'm fine with it," Steam said, "seriously, it doesn't bother me. Especially when they give you free food right after"

I smiled, "Right" I replied, joining them on the couch. Petunia sat down next to me.

"So," she started, "we've got a lot of catching up to do"

* * *

**So there you have it, another cliffhanger, this one worse than the last. Sorry (not really :)**

**Anyways, so what'd you all think of everyone's weapons? I personally really like Steam's. Gold Digger was initially going to be just a weapon that he used when he worked (as a grave digger) and then when he became important would switch to another weapon, which was a massive sword. But then there were story changes and then I liked Gold Digger too much so I just gave up on the other weapon. **

**Also, I just thought of this today but the characters' weapon names don't actually have any meaning. Some weapons in the actual show, like Magnhild (Nora's hammer) are two words in another language put together that have something to do with the weapon, but mine don't mean anything. They were just words that came from my imagination. In the future some weapon names may have an actual meaning though. **

**True fact: Stopping abruptly after exercising is indeed bad for your heart (or so I've been told), so after doing a long run or something keep walking or do some push-ups or sit-ups to keep your heart in good health. **

**I actually really like team CRDL by the way, so expect to see more of them in the coming chapters. Plus I don't think that they're important enough in the actual show, so I want to emphasize them here.**

**Something that I think some of you may be confused about is the bleeding as well. Lark wasn't bleeding, and nor was anyone else, and yet back in Crimson I everyone was bleeding and getting cut up. Why is this, you may ask. Well it certainly isn't because I wanted to make this story more appropriate. People like Lark or Gazini are seasoned huntsmen who know how to use their auras. If you remember back to volume 1 of RWBY in Emerald Forest, Ren uses his aura to block the fangs of a King Taijitu. Similarly, other hunters can use their auras not only to generate a semblance, but also to block attacks. That would also explain why in battles like in volume 2 when Pyrrha fought team CRDL and although she cut through them no damage was dealt to their physical bodies. To their aura probably, but not to them physically. So hunters can use their auras to deflect attacks, but the lackeys of Mr. Fall weren't seasoned hunters (most of them anyway) and could do little more than wield a gun. They had no where near as much training as hunters, and therefore cannot use their auras to protect themselves. That's my theory, anyway. **

**Anyways, I think that's it. If you have any questions, shoot me a PM or a review. I love hearing from you guys. So as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter. **


	33. Crimson II Chapter 4

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall! The last chapter ended with a cliffhanger, if you remember, so lets get right into it. (Also this chapter contains probably the most alcohol consumption in the story, so if that's a problem for you be wary)**

* * *

I reached over and took some of Steam's food. "Soon," I replied, "but not now"

"Why?" Petunia demanded.

"I have to get back to business." I replied, "I'm working now, remember? And explaining could take a while"

"Well, when then?" Petunia asked.

"After the tournament," I replied, "when we've figured everything out"

"Promise?" Hail asked, leaning forward on the couch.

"Promise" I replied.

"Do what you have to do" Petunia sighed.

I stopped for a second, then stood and left the cafeteria to return to the audience seats.

"What took so long?" Thunder asked without looking over.

"The team wanted to hang out afterwards." I replied, "Turns out there's free food for the fighters"

"I see" Thunder said.

"Plus they wanted to do some catching up"

"Huh" Thunder said half-attentively.

I looked over to see him glued to the arena. Turning back, I saw that the fight was pretty exciting.

"Who's fighting?" I asked.

Thunder didn't reply.

"Hey" I said, pushing him slightly.

"Huh?" He asked.

"Who's fighting?" I asked.

"RWBY and SLMN (salmon)" He replied.

"Thanks" I replied, looking out at the fight. "Who's in what team?"

"RWBY is red, white, black, and yellow. The others are SLMN" He replied.

"Kay," I replied, looking over at the fight. The winner was clear; team RWBY. Somehow Thunder was so excited by this. Team SLMN was getting their butts handed to them on a silver platter.

When the match ended the announcer said that that was the last fight of the day, and that it would resume the next day.

Leaving the arena, I walked with Thunder.

"What did you think?" I asked.

"There are some good teams in there" He replied.

"It's pretty clear who's going to get ahead already eh?" I asked.

"Yes." Thunder replied, "I know for certain that I want your team, and same with RWBY"

"RWBY?" I asked, "After one fight?"

"Sure." He replied, "I mean, did you see that fight?"

"Yeah," I replied, "I saw lots of recklessness and scattered battle tactics. They're pretty disorganized"

"Then how'd they win?" Thunder challenged.

"They have lots of strength," I replied, "They're all brawn and no brain. SLMN on the other hand had neither"

"Hmph" Thunder grunted.

"Gaz!" Someone called behind me. I turned, it was Hail. She was standing in front of Steam and Petunia.

"Hold on" I told Thunder, walking over to them.

"Where are you staying?" Hail asked.

I shrugged, "I'll find a hotel somewhere" I replied.

"That's no fun!" Hail said, punching my arm. "Come join us"

"What kind of place do you guys have?" I asked.

"You'll see" Hail replied.

"Alright." I replied, somewhat nervous, "Hold on" I turned back to Thunder and told him where I was going.

"Go ahead." He replied, "Take this though, and look it over tonight" He handed me a sheet of paper. "It's the tournament match-ups." He told me, "Mark the teams you're interested in, and so will I. We'll talk about it tomorrow at the tournament. Meet me in the same place as today"

"Got it" I replied, returning to my team.

"Is that guy your employer or something?" Petunia asked.

"He's like that" I replied.

"So are you sure we won't have time to talk tonight?" Hail asked.

"I'd rather not" I replied, folding up the paper and slipping it into my pocket.

"Fine" Hail said, looking frustrated.

Petunia turned, "Let's go" She said, starting to leave.

We arrived at a truck shortly after and started to get inside. Hail and Steam got into the front, but there weren't any seats in the back.

"You'll have to sit in the back" Hail told me.

"There aren't any seats in the back" I pointed out.

"Dang city-folk," Hail cursed, "in the trunk, the back, whatever you want to call it. We've set up some nice seats back there"

I walked around to the back, where Petunia was already sitting in the trunk, leaning against the back of the cab of the truck. There were long body pillows set up along the sides, and a large blanket set up on the bottom. Black straps for handles lined the rim.

"Welcome," Petunia started, "to the PHGG Machine" She spread her arms out where she sat, lazily welcoming me.

I laughed, climbing up into the trunk and leaning against one of the pillows next to Petunia.

"Want a drink?" She asked me, pointing to the end of the trunk. There was a long cooler stretching across it where body pillows would normally be placed.

"Isn't that illegal?" I asked.

"We aren't driving Gaz" Petunia pointed out.

I shrugged, smiling, "Sure" I replied, standing to go to the cooler. All of a sudden the truck started moving, and I fell face-first into the blanket on the floor.

Petunia laughed, "You okay?" She asked.

I pushed myself up, "Yeah" I replied, laughing a little.

Petunia hit the back of the cab, "Watch it!" She laughed, "We're trying to get a drink!"

"Don't get too drunk before we get home!" Hail called back, "I want to join you afterwards!"

"Of course!" Petunia called back, then turned to me. I was still on the floor, slowly crawling to the long cooler. I didn't want to risk falling over again.

"What kind of stuff have you got in here?" I asked.

"Black wine," Petunia started, "Liquor-Ice, Daft, Bear Hugs, Bunny-Hops, everything. We've got the whole package"

"What about Eric's Might?" I asked.

"Yeah, I think so." Petunia replied, "Why? I thought you hated that stuff"

"It's grown on me" I replied.

"I thought you said it's too alcoholic"

"It is"

Petunia paused, then smiled, "I see" She replied.

I opened the cooler, looking at everything drowning in ice. Pulling out a Bear Hug, I turned, "Want anything?" I asked.

"Get me some Keinan Garry" she replied.

I pulled a Keinan out from the cooler, then crawled back over to Petunia. Handing her the bottle I said, "I used that as an alias a few times"

"Really?" She asked, "Did you ever fool anyone?"

"Oh yes" I replied, cracking open my Bear Hug.

"Clearly some people don't know their alcohol" Petunia said.

"Yeah but who's ever heard of Keinan Garry?" I asked, "I mean, seriously, how do you even drink that crap?" I gulped down a bit of beer.

"Hey!" She called out, cracking hers open, "If it's so bad, why would you use it as an alias?"

"First of all," I started, "because that's all you ever drink and I tend to get drunkest with you of all people. Secondly, nobody's ever heard of it but us"

Petunia gulped down a bit, then held up her bottle, "Cheers" she said. I clinked my bottle against hers, then took another swig.

By the time we reached the house, I had gone through two bottles, and Petunia was on her third.

Hail hit the side of the truck, "Wake up kiddies," she called, "we're home"

I looked around, but already I was having trouble seeing.

"Why don't you just come up here?" Petunia suggested to Hail.

"Remember last time we got drunk in there?" Hail asked.

"It wasn't _that_ bad" Petunia said, taking another sip.

"We had to run those blankets and pillows through the washer a few times. That puke was really on there" She reminded her.

"We'll just wash it right away" Petunia suggested.

"Good idea." I said, "Get it while it's soft and mushy"

Hail sighed, then opened the back of the truck and pulled out the cooler.

"No, wait" Petunia reached out lazily.

"Come and get it" Hail said, turning and walking away.

Petunia sighed, then slowly stood up and started after her. I stood and staggered out of the truck as well.

Inside the house, I could barely tell what was going on.

"Put those down thief!" Petunia called after Hail.

She laughed, and so did Petunia. Hail put the cooler down, then opened it up and pulled out a drink. I couldn't tell what it was. Steam came and pulled one out as well.

"Remember Petunia," Hail started, cracking open her bottle, "don't wander around, or you'll stain all the furniture again"

Petunia put her bottle down after sipping from it, then waved her hand, "Pfft!" She spat, "Since when have I done that?"

"You know when" Hail replied, taking a sip of her drink.

"Why are you so boring all of a sudden?" I asked her.

Hail looked over at me, "Because I'm not drunk yet." She replied.

I raised my bottle, "Join the crew" I said. Hail clinked her bottle against mine, then took a drink.

I downed my whole third bottle, then reached for another. Looking at the label, I vaguely made out the words 'Eric's Might', and took it.

"Eric already?" Hail asked.

"You gotta start somewhere" I replied, cracking open the cap and taking a large swig.

After that everything started to blur together until everything went black, yet I still felt conscious.

* * *

**So yeah, cliffhanger fake-out. Nothing was revealed. Sorry (not really)**

**Although hopefully you guys learned a bit more about the characters. They like to get drunk quite often. I don't plan on having this happen too much though, as I don't like writing about it much and the story will get too serious for this stuff pretty soon.**

**I actually almost forgot to upload this today. I recently started writing another original story, so I haven't been writing this as much. Good thing I'm several chapters ahead though. I'm planning on posting my new story online as well, but on another site called Fictionpress. I'll tell you when I start posting it, but for now if you want to check it out then go ahead (I'm under the same name by the way, if you want to find me)**

**And I think that's about it. So as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter. **


	34. Crimson II Chapter 5

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall! I don't like saying stuff in intros as much anymore, as you can probably tell, so we're just going to get right into it. **

* * *

The next morning I awoke sprawled out across a couch, the sun reflecting off my eyeballs. I blinked a few times, trying to remember where I was. My brain hurt badly, and I started to raise my hand to rub it, but it was stuck. Looking down I saw something on top of me. As my vision cleared I realized that it was a child. As my brain began to function properly again I recognized her as Petunia. She was lying sideways across my gut, my hand stuck under her. My other hand was hanging off the side of the couch, so I raised that one and rubbed my forehead.

Trying to sit up, I found myself too tired to push Petunia off.

She groaned, "Stop moving so much" She mumbled drowsily.

I reached out and shook her shoulder, "I need to get up" I said, bringing my hand up suddenly to rub my aching head.

She swung out her arm lazily in an attempt to smack me, "Don't touch me" she moaned.

Eventually I decided to just roll off the couch, so that's what I did. I hit my shoulder against the hardwood floor, but at least it wasn't my head. Petunia's legs drooped down on the ground, and slowly the rest of her body started to slide as well.

"Landslide!" She called drowsily.

I smiled, pushing myself to my feet and looking down at her. Her chin was placed on the couch cushion, with her body bending backwards until it laid flat on the ground. Reaching down, I did my best to lift her up back onto the couch so that she wouldn't look so uncomfortable.

As I started to walk away she adjusted herself and fell asleep again. I took one last glance at her, then turned and looked around the house. I hadn't gotten a good look at it the night before. The floor was made of dark hardwood, and the walls were white. The door and window frames were light blue, and the couches behind me were yellowish-white and arranged in a curved line around a large television. Behind the couches was a massive window stretching up to the ceiling and along a large portion of the wall.

In front of me was a doorway. Walking inside, I realized that it was the kitchen. All the cabinets were dark brown colored, with white marble countertops and a similar sink and water tap. I was surprised to find how different the two rooms were.

Going to the wood covered refrigerator, I opened it up to look at what was available in terms of food.

"Find anything tasty?" Petunia asked drowsily. I turned, seeing her looking at me from the couch through her barely opened eyes. She was stretching her arms up above her head.

"Not sure" I replied, looking around a bit more. Inside I found several hunks of raw meat, two milk jugs; one labelled 'Hail' and the other labelled 'Anyone'. The one marked 'Hail' was almost empty, and the other was mostly full. "Hail still loves her milk eh?" I asked.

Petunia groaned as she stretched, "Oh yes" she replied.

Looking around a bit more, I found a six pack of purple soda cans labelled 'People like Grapes'.

"You guys still drink PLG?" I asked, using the abbreviation for the drink name.

"Of course." Petunia replied, letting her arms fall loosely onto her head, "That was the stuff back at Beacon"

"The stuff of vending machines" I replied.

"The stuff of legend" Petunia corrected.

I snickered, triggering another headache, this one lighter than the last, and looked around a bit more, "Any alcohol?" I asked.

"It's all in the cooler." Petunia replied, "Haven't you had enough?"

"I have," I replied, "but I was just curious"

"The cooler's only for nights like yesterday." She said, "PLG's just for when we're thirsty but don't want to get hammered"

"Or don't' want to drink water." I added, "Why don't you just have one though? Are you really that bad at holding your liquor?"

Petunia shrugged sarcastically, "Well…" She started.

"Seriously?" I asked, laughing before another headache interrupted me.

"After one I just keep grabbing them." She replied, "It's like an addiction"

"Alcoholic" I said, closing the fridge.

"Hey!" Petunia said, sitting upright on the couch, "Only when I actually drink. I don't have to drink"

I looked over at her, "Ever?" I asked.

"Yes!" She replied.

I smiled, staring at her.

"Okay maybe I need it sometimes" She admitted.

I kept staring at her.

"Often"

"How often?"

"Once a month"

"Liar"

"What will make you believe me?"

"The truth" I replied.

She sighed, then admitted, "Every week"

"Seriously?" I asked, "That's what people around here call an addiction"

"Shut up." Petunia said, "Besides, you clearly can't hold your liquor"

"I can hold it" I replied.

"Prove it" She challenged.

"Well I'm not going to take a drink right now if that's what you want" I said.

"Why not?"

"Because I have a crazy hangover from last night"

She snickered, "Please," She said, "I could keep drinking right now if I wanted to"

"That's because you're addicted"

"Oh shut up!" She called, throwing a pillow from the couch at me. She still hadn't recovered much strength, so the cushion only made it to the doorway to the kitchen.

"Nice throw" I said.

She started laughing. I laughed too.

"What's all the racket in here?" Hail asked, staggering into the living room. Her glasses were crooked on her face, and her hair was messy.

"That's a nice look for you Hail" I commented.

"Oh hush up." She said, "What's going on here?"

"Having a breakfast conversation" I replied.

Hail looked into the kitchen, "Where's the food?" She asked.

"In the fridge" I replied.

"Then how can you be having a conversation over breakfast when there isn't any food?" She asked.

"We're still figuring that out" I replied.

Hail nodded, then reached up and rubbed her head, "Well, you seem like you're in good shape." She said, then pointed to the fridge, "Cook us something good"

"What do you expect me to make?" I asked.

"I don't know." Hail replied, "Remember those really good meals you made over the campfire? Make one of those"

"Those are dinner and lunch meals though," I pointed out, "and they require a campfire. I don't know how to do it with an oven"

Hail fell down onto a couch and stretched out across it, "You'll figure it out" She replied, shutting her eyes and immediately starting to snore.

I looked over at Petunia, "That sure stirs up memories" I said.

"What does?" She asked. "The campfire meals?"

I pointed to Hail, "That noise" I replied.

Petunia looked over, then laughed, "Oh yeah." She replied. "Stay with us and you'll get to hear that _all_ night"

I smiled, "Oh boy" I replied sarcastically.

"So what are you going to make for us today?" She asked.

I shrugged, "I dunno." I replied, "I'll figure it out I guess"

Opening the fridge again, I looked through what was there, and eventually settled on small breakfast sausages, omelets, and milk.

Taking the food outside, I found some logs of wood around the side of the house. I set up a cone shape with the wood, then returned to the house and found some paper and a lighter.

"Did anyone here take up smoking?" I asked Petunia, holding up the lighter.

"No," She replied, "none of us can breathe fire, either, so we've needed that for making one"

"Right" I replied.

"Are you seriously cooking it over a campfire?" She asked.

"That's what Hail asked for, right?" I asked.

I opened the front door and headed outside to the front yard where I had set up the wood. Crumpling up and placing the paper inside the cone, then lighting the paper on fire, I sat down and waited, blowing on the embers occasionally. Eventually a fire blazed up before me, and I started to cook. I had already grabbed a pan, so I was able to cook everything without burning myself.

I flipped the omelets into the air and back onto the pan so that both sides could cook. When I finished I put out the fire, then brought the food back inside and set it all on plates on a small round table in the corner of the kitchen, just next to a window. To top it all off I poured everyone milk, using up the last of Hail's in the process.

Walking out to the doorway to the kitchen, I called to the two people now sleeping on the couches, "Breakfast!"

They both shook awake, startled.

"Don't sneak up on my like that!" Hail complained.

"I didn't" I replied.

"Whatever." Hail said, "What is it?"

"Breakfast" I replied.

She pushed herself off the couch, "'bout time" she mumbled.

Petunia stood slower, walking past me to the kitchen to sit down.

"Where's Steam?" I asked.

"Probably out puking" Hail replied, sitting down in front of a plate of food.

"Why?" I asked.

"Alcohol doesn't agree with his old stomach" She replied.

I sighed, going and sitting down with everyone. Luckily Hail sat down where her glass of milk was.

"I could smell it from here" She said.

"Well you're out as well" I said.

She slammed her utensils down on the table, "Honestly?" She asked, a deathly serious look on her face.

"Yeah" I replied.

"Don't worry about it Hail," Petunia said, "maybe you could try some decent milk for once"

"Oh please," Hail said, "that stuff is an abomination"

"It is not." Petunia replied, "It's delicious"

"Like Keinan Garry?" I asked.

"Exactly like that" Hail laughed.

"Oh shut up." Petunia said, "It's an acquired taste"

"You're the only one who's ever acquired it in this world" Hail said.

Petunia hit her arm lightly.

I laughed, starting to eat my food.

"So how long will Steam be?" I asked.

"Not long." Hail replied, "Once he's washed out the flavor of puke, he'll join us"

"You talk about puke as if it's something tasty." I replied, "Calling it a flavor"

"Oh," Hail started, "you've never heard of a puke soufflé? It's a true delicacy"

"Like Keinan Garry?" I asked.

Petunia punched my arm, "Don't trash talk Garry!" She exclaimed.

"By the way," Hail started, "you had some work to do last night, right?"

I paused as I chewed, "Oh yeah," I replied, "I did. What time is it?"

"Almost midday" Hail replied.

I paused to think, trying to remember when I'd gotten to the tournament yesterday. Just after lunch. "Crap" I said.

"Better act quickly." Hail said, "The tournament's starting up again soon"

"I know" I replied, eating my food faster. Once I finished it up I stood and looked around for my tournament match-ups sheet. Seeing my jacket lying on the ground near the front door, I picked it up, found the paper in one of the pockets, and slipped into the sleeves.

"We aren't fighting today right?" I asked.

"We won't fight for a few more days," Petunia replied, "these beginning matches take forever to finish"

"Okay, thanks." I said, opening the front door, "You don't mind if I come back after?" I asked.

"Of course not!" Petunia replied, "Heck, why don't you just move in with us?"

I paused, then nodded slowly, "Maybe" I replied before heading outside.

Looking around, I realized that something was missing. "Where's my moped?!"

* * *

**A pretty laid back chapter if you ask me. A lot of the beginning Crimson II chapters are pretty laid back, but the later ones will definitely be more story-focused and interesting than these last few. I felt like this was a goofier chapter than most, but maybe that's just me. **

**I really haven't been writing this story a whole lot recently, as I am way ahead of how much I've posted here. And as I mentioned last week, I've started another story. I'm planning on posting the first chapter pretty soon actually, on the site called Fictionpress. So if your interested, I'm under the same name on that site. I'll likely inform you next week if I posted it though. (I promise, this isn't an advertisement, its a suggestion)**

**Also, I don't want to sound ungrateful or angry, but I've been noticing that I haven't been receiving a whole lot of reviews lately. You don't have to leave one, but its certainly a lot more encouraging to receive a notification (in the form of a review) that someone has recently binge-read my story over someone favoriting/following it. Despite binge-reading probably being pretty unhealthy for your eyes, I'm happy to see that people are enjoying this story enough to do that. Again, I don't want to sound ungrateful, because I am very grateful of you guys, but receiving a review is way more exciting and encouraging than a simple favorite or follow. **

**Anyways, as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter. **


	35. Crimson II Chapter 6

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall! I've given up on introduction information. PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!**

* * *

Turns out I left my moped at the arena, so I had to take the bus there. I would take my team's truck, but I tried asking and they denied me very loudly, so I left quietly.

While on the bus someone looked over at me, "You expectin' a fight?" He asked.

I looked over at him, then down at my waist. Arkynshihn was attached to the back of my belt. I'd forgotten that I had it there, as I often did. It had become part of who I was lately.

"I'm going to the Hunters' Tournament" I replied.

"You a competitor?" He asked.

"Yep" I replied, staring out the window.

"Nice." He said, "Good luck with that"

I turned my head, "Excuse me?" I asked.

"I wished you good luck" He replied.

"No, no," I replied, "your tone of voice, repeat it"

"What?" The man asked.

"Don't talk to me like that"

"Like what?"

"What are you, stupid?" I asked, "Just shut you're can"

"You were asking me a question," The man said, "so I was answering. Jeez, chill out"

I started to stand, but stopped myself. I rarely acted on my anger to civilians. _Something is wrong_ I thought.

"You competing today?" The man asked. I was surprised that he was still talking to me.

"Nah," I replied, "Yesterday"

"And?"

"Onto the next round"

"Nice." He replied, "Then why do you have your weapon?"

"I bring it around everywhere typically." I replied, "I don't know, force of habit"

"I see" He said.

"You?" I asked.

"What?"

"What's your business?" I asked.

"Work"

"Ah" I turned back to the window.

"Is this your job?" The man asked me. I turned back to him. "As a huntsman?"

"Yeah" I replied.

"It pays okay?" He asked.

"If you're decent" I replied.

"Huh" He said.

"If you want to make a living off this you have to start young." I added, "If you haven't already started then you won't make anything off of it"

"Good to know" The man replied.

Looking at the man for a moment longer, I felt like he was familiar. "Do I know you?" I asked.

The man shrugged, "Beats me" He replied.

I looked him over, head to toe. He had an orange colored mohawk, mustache, and chin-beard. His ears were pierced several times, and his skin was tan. His eyes were purple colored, and he wore a heavy brown jacket with an orange interior. His shirt was purple and buttoned up just to his chest, where he wore an orange shirt underneath. Lastly, he wore dark blue jeans on his legs.

Somehow he looked familiar still. I shrugged, "Hmph" I grunted, turning back to look out the window.

The bus arrived at the arena, and I got off along with several others. Sure enough, there was my moped parked along the side of the arena, next to several other bikes and smaller than normal cars. I checked my moped, making sure it was still safe and secure where it was. It had to be to have survived all night. Either that or the crimson color wasn't attractive enough to thieves. _How could this not have been stolen?_ I wondered, _It's beautiful, who wouldn't want a moped like this?_

I cleared my head of the thought, then headed into the arena to find a seat. Thunder was already in our usual spot.

"Your late" He said.

"Sorry," I replied, "I left my moped here, so I had to take the bus"

"You haven't done your work either" He stated.

"How did you know?" I asked.

"You were late." Thunder replied, "If you mess up once, you're bound to have messed everything else up"

"Do you really live by those words?" I asked, "Because that's not exactly fair"

"Did you do your work?" Thunder asked.

"No"

"Were you on time?"

"No"

"Did you leave your moped here?"

"Yes," I replied, smiling. "See? I did something…" I trailed off as I realized that the only positive thing about that was the word 'yes'.

"Exactly my point." Thunder said, "Look it over tonight, along with the next batch of competitors"

"Got it" I replied.

"Promise you won't get drunk?" He asked.

"I can't make any promises like that" I replied.

Thunder looked at me disapprovingly. So disapprovingly that it scared me. "I promise" I said.

"Good" He said, turning back to the arena. "The first fight already started"

As the fights cycled through I paid extra attention to the fights, looking mostly for hidden gems. The ones that moved on I knew were good, but the rare times where the fight was evenly matched and both teams were exceptionally talented.

The day of fighting ended, but Thunder and I stuck around a bit longer.

"We are whipping through these fights." Thunder said, laying his match-ups sheet on his lap, "Second day and we're already halfway through"

"The whole thing?" I asked.

"No, idiot." Thunder replied, "The first round. Let's look it over thus far"

"I can look it over at home tonight" I pointed out.

"I know." Thunder replied, "But I don't trust you"

"If you know I can do it, then why don't you trust me?" I asked.

"People are capable of anything." He said, "Just as you are capable of carrying out this simple task. I just don't trust that you will do it"

I sighed and spread out my sheet on my lap.

"Alright." He started, "So I know that I want you guys and RWBY. What about you?"

"CRDL," I replied, "And JNPR"

Thunder looked over the sheet, "Both of those teams lost." He said, "One of them to you"

"I know," I replied, "I saw real potential in CRDL. Heck, they probably could have beaten us. I at least want to see a bit more of them"

"Fine." Thunder said, "But what about JNPR? They were uncoordinated. Especially that leader, Arc or whatever his name was"

"Yes," I replied, "but they have Pyrrha Nikos"

"So?"

"Do you not know the Nikos family?" I asked.

"I've heard good things" He replied.

"Good things?" I asked, "That family is known as the strongest in the world"

"But why the whole team for one person?"

"First of all," I started, "because she won't budge without her team. And secondly, the rest of them are exceptional. Jaune Arc may not look like much, but I see Pyrrha all over him. Trust me, if he isn't already great, he will be"

Thunder sighed, "Fine." He replied, "Any other losers you want?"

I shook my head, "None as worth looking into as these two"

"Any winners?" He asked.

"No," I replied, "It's too early to see who's truly the best"

"How early do you want to get home tonight?" He asked.

"As early as possible." I replied, "But I'm not cutting work to do that. Honestly, most of these people are probably holding back. We'll see who's been holding back and who hasn't in the later matches"

Thunder sighed, "Fine." He replied, "We'll talk again after the second round"

"Okay" I replied.

Outside, I returned to my moped which sat mostly alone in the small-vehicle parking lot. _Looks like I'm not the only forgetful one here_, I thought, starting up my moped and driving off, back to the home of team PHGG.

"How'd it go?" Petunia asked when I stepped through the door.

"Fine" I replied, walking into the living room and sitting down on the couch.

Petunia hopped up to her feet, "Forgot something." She said, "Come with me"

I sighed, standing.

"Are you seriously tired?" She asked, "After sitting in an audience and watching fights all day?"

"Hey, the seats aren't comfortable" I pointed out.

She laughed as she led me farther into the living room. The room curved around the kitchen, and at the end were two staircases.

"Downstairs is the laundry, storage," Petunia started, "and Steam's room"

"Steam sleeps with the storage?" I asked.

"He's fine with it" She said, turning to the other staircase, which led up. "Come with me"

We started upstairs. "Up here we have my room." She pointed to the first door on the right, "Hail's room," she pointed to the door across from it, "The universal closet." She pointed to the door next to hers, "Your room." She pointed to the door next to Hail's, "And the bathroom" She pointed to the door at the end of the short hallway.

"I have my own room?" I asked.

"Yep" Petunia replied.

"I don't even live here" I pointed out.

"Yes well," she started, "you still are part of team PHGG. You have to have a room. Plus we were hunting you down already when we bought this house. You're a lot harder to track than you think"

"I try" I replied, smiling, and walking to the door.

"Go on in" Petunia said.

I walked in, and the room was empty other than a bed. The walls were pure white, the bedframe was white, the mattress, sheets, blankets, and pillow were all white. The only thing that wasn't white was the window glass, but that didn't really count.

"Nice" I said sarcastically.

"Just fill it up yourself," Petunia said, "we may have paid for the house, but we aren't paying for your crap too. That's your job. We've provided the necessities, but that's it"

"A bed and a window" I commented.

"You're lucky to have that window, by the way" She said.

I smiled, "Thanks." I replied. "I'll be sure to fill it with all my little treasures and what-not"

"So you're staying?" She asked.

I nodded, "Sure," I replied, "Why not?"

"Great." Petunia said, "We just need you to make a few payments. Hold on"

"Are you serious?" I asked.

"Yes." She replied, "People may say love makes the world go round but it sure as heck doesn't pay the bills. We may be friends but you still need to pull your own weight"

"Alright" I replied, smiling and reaching into my pocket.

"One second" Petunia headed out.

I pulled Arkynshihn off my belt and leaned it against the back of my bedframe, then sat down on the bed and looked around. It was a small room, but not so small that it was uncomfortable. _I'm home, I guess_, I thought, _it'll need some serious work, but I'm home nonetheless_.

* * *

**So there you go. Not a whole lot happened, as usual. **

**To answer Sup (Guest)'s question of "How old is Steam?" he's mid to late-40s. Initially in my mind he was just a super old guy, so my initial thought was 50-60 years old, or even older. But that didn't feel realistic enough, considering the fact that he did go to Beacon with the rest of Team PHGG and is still physically capable of winning a fight with someone younger. He would have been accepted into Beacon when he was 40-50 years old if he was 50-60, and considering everyone else is 17-ish his motives would more likely be pedophiliac than actually wanting to learn how to hunt. Although he would have been accepted into Beacon when he was about 30, so that's still older than most people. By the way, I don't actually know if you can get into Beacon after a certain age, so this is just me guessing. If you do the math everyone in PHGG has been hunting for a little over 10-15 years. **

**When Gazini said "****I saw real potential in CRDL. Heck, they probably could have beaten us. I at least want to see a bit more of them" That's exactly how I feel, the last part in particular. CRDL, despite being the bully team, is one of my favorites in the series. The last two volumes have disappointed me when they didn't really get any screen time, so they will be somewhat important (at least in Part 2) in this story. **

**Also, reading over the line "Jaune Arc may not look like much, but I see Pyrrha all over him" it sounded like it could have been taken differently by different people. so just to clarify, Gazini sees her fighting style all over him, not her physically on him. That'd be weird (I do ship Arkos though). **

**(CAPS FOR ATTENTION) I was a little disappointed to find only one review, which is better than the usual zero, but still disappointing. Although it has come to my attention that some people don't actually read these intros and outros, which I don't see why some of you don't (I don't write these to fill my word quota for each chapter, because I write these on a separate document so that I know how long each chapter is without the commentary in them). I don't want to sound like I shun those who don't read these, but I just think its kind of disrespectful when I put effort into writing this and then no one bothers with it. Again, not trying to sound ungrateful or anything. **

**Also, remember last week when I said I'd start posting another story elsewhere? Well, I won't be doing that anymore. I'm still writing the story, but with summer fast approaching I won't be able to post as much as I'd want to. I'll be gone for the vast majority of the summer vacation, so the posting day for HellFall will be moved to Saturdays, when I return home for the weekend. I won't be able to guarantee another chapter on that day, as I may have other things going on, but I'll do my best. I'll remind you guys of this when the time comes, as well as go more into it (unless you don't read these, then you'll just be confused with the day switch).**

**I don't even know why I'm telling you guys you should read these intros/outros in an outro. If you don't already read them, you won't get the message anyways. Maybe I should have some form of caps for attention or something (see above)**

**That was a lot longer than I thought it'd be, but anyways, as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter. **


	36. Crimson II Chapter 7

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**So today while transferring all my files to my other computer I almost lost all my books and notes, including HellFall. Luckily I sent them to myself as a precaution. Goes to show that you can never be too careful.**

**I was worried that I wouldn't be able to upload another chapter today, with my teachers pouring homework on us as they struggle to finish teaching everything before the final exams. Some teachers really don't know good time management apparently. Anyways, I took a break because some of it took less time than I thought, which was certainly nice for me (and you too).**

**Anyways, this is a bigger chapter, but its also more important, so enjoy!**

* * *

Sitting on my bed and pondering how to spice up the room a bit, I was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a loud gong. Nearly falling off my bed in shock, I rushed downstairs, seeing Hail standing before a large gong beside the staircase leading downstairs that I hadn't noticed. She held a mallet in one hand.

"What the hell Hail?!" I yelled, "You scared me half to death!"

She looked me over, "Well you're still alive, aren't you?" She pointed out.

"Don't be smart with me. What the heck was that all about?" I demanded.

"Dinner time." She replied, "You seriously need to learn our traditions"

"Dinner?" I asked. Sure enough, Petunia rushed downstairs after me, and Steam shortly after. "Why don't you just call 'Dinner time!'?"

"Because it makes my throat hurt." She replied, "Besides, this is more fun"

Hail set the mallet next to the gong, then returned to the kitchen and sat down at the small round table with everyone.

"Well?" She asked, "Are you sitting down?"

I went and sat down with them.

"Do you ring the gong for all meals?" I asked.

"Basically." Hail replied, "On nights like when you first arrived, no. We tried once and it hurt our heads"

Petunia groaned, "Don't remind me" She said.

I sighed. "Anyways, what did you prepare?" I asked.

"Food," Hail replied, "duh"

"As in what kind of food?" I asked, "Steak? Steamed vegetables? Sandwiches?"

"Oh," Hail replied, "um, I don't know"

"What do you mean you don't know?" I asked.

"Hail doesn't know how to properly cook." Petunia replied, "She just throws stuff in a pot and hopes for the best"

"Usually it tastes pretty good though" Hail pointed out.

"Usually" Petunia said.

"That's what I just said" Hail said.

"I know." Petunia replied, "I'm adding emphasis"

Hail rolled her eyes, then lifted the lid of the pot in the center of the table. I stood a little to see what it looked like. Sitting back down, I didn't know what to think. I don't even know how it could be described.

We all started to serve ourselves with the large spoon set in the pot.

Once I was served I lifted my own spoon and ate a bit of it. Immediately I cringed.

"Well?" Hail asked.

"Well, um-" I started.

"It's awful Hail" Petunia stated.

"Detestable" Steam added.

Hail turned to me.

"Um," I started, "Tolerable?"

"Be honest, Gaz," Petunia said, "we don't tolerate lying here"

"Sorry," I started, "It's as foul as a pig rear end, Hail. I'm sorry"

"Don't apologize," Hail replied, "all feedback is helpful. By the way, how would you know how foul a pig's butt is?"

All eyes fell on me.

"Well I've smelled pig's before" I replied.

"I'm asking about the taste," Hail said, "not the smell"

"It's just my way of saying it's terrible." I said, "I'm just assuming that considering pigs are generally stinky and gross and so are rear ends, that it was a fair comparison to make"

"Pigs aren't stinky and gross if you cook them right" Steam said.

I slapped my spoon back on the table and stood up. "Alright," I said, "I'm your new chef"

"You can't just take my position like that!" Hail said.

"You don't even cook." I pointed out, "I can make every meal delicious and nutritious"

Petunia snickered. Steam smiled.

"I'm serious." I said, "You guys are in need"

"In need?" Petunia asked, laughing open-mouth now.

"Do you want to eat this every night?" I asked.

"Usually its good!" Hail pointed out.

"With me around it'll always be good!" I exclaimed, "We can avoid a major crisis like this!"

"A major crisis?" Petunia laughed.

"Well," Hail started, "then I take the position from you!"

"Well I take it back!" I retorted.

"It's mine now!"

"Now it's mine again!"

"I'm taking it back!"

"Then I challenge you to a cook-off!" I decided, slamming my fist on the table. "Winner takes the position"

"You're on!" Hail replied, pointing her finger in my face.

Petunia was in stitches, tipping her chair back. Even Steam was laughing. He covered his mouth and did it discreetly though.

Just like that I was in the kitchen, searching the cupboards for food ideas. Hail followed shortly after.

"What to make…" I wondered aloud.

"Oh please!" Hail said, "the best chef knows exactly what to make right away!"

"You can't even make anything!" I pointed out.

"Lies!" Hail retorted, "True cooking is throwing stuff in a pot and seeing what happens!"

"That's called an experiment!" I exclaimed.

"Only in science class!" Hail replied.

Facing the cupboards again, I began to pull out food, pots, pans, and anything else that I'd need.

Hail filled her arms with a random array of foods and spices, then grabbed a large pot.

Minutes passed. Ten, twenty, forty, an hour. I cooked furiously. Hail, on the other hand, checked her pot of boiling water and food from time to time.

"Hurry up" Petunia groaned. I glanced at her, not taking my eyes off my cooking. She was splayed out across her chair, her mouth wide open and drooling.

"Hush darling." I said quietly, "It'll all be over soon"

"Wha-?" Petunia started, not finishing her word.

"Little did you know, Gazini," Hail started, drawing a small beaker of green sauce out, "I have my secret sauce, which is why everyone loves my food"

"That's guacamole." I pointed out, "And it's hardly a sauce. More of a condiment"

"Drat!" Hail muttered, "He knows my secret"

"I'm using it as well" I added.

She gasped, "N-no…" she stammered, "Using my own weapon against me, are you?! Well, two can play at that game!"

She reached into the cupboard, pulled out a small hunk of steak, and threw it into her pot of boiling water.

"That's not even how you cook steak!" I burst out.

"It is now" Hail replied.

I gasped, "You monster..."

Two hours passed, and finally I was done. I poured my stew into bowls and served everyone, then put a plate of burritos with guacamole and other things in the center of the table. Lastly, I placed a plate of grilled cheese sandwiches next to the burritos.

"Steak and potato stew," I started, "with burritos filled with lamb, guacamole, tomatoes, and sour cream. Then to top it off, grilled cheese sandwiches grilled to perfection with cheddar and mozzarella cheese between two slices of pure whole wheat bread"

Hail picked up her pot of assorted boiled foods and placed it next to all my food.

"Enjoy" I said, backing up slowly and bowing.

"Enjoy mine more" Hail said, stepping forward.

Petunia and Steam tried Hail's food first. They both cringed, as had I.

"Hail," Petunia started, "this is the worst thing you've ever created"

"Truly unbearable" Steam said.

Hail frowned.

Next they tried my stew. Then my burritos, and then my sandwiches.

"Gazini for sure" Petunia decided.

"Easily tolerated" Steam added.

I gave a small fist pump of victory.

Hail held out her hand, "Well done" She said.

I took her hand and shook it, "Thank you" I said.

She leaned forward, "But I will learn how to cook, and when I do, I will crush you" She whispered.

"I'll be ready" I whispered back.

* * *

After we all finished eating we sat down in the living room. Hail raised the television's remote control, but Petunia stopped her.

"Gazini," she started, "why is it that you won't tell us anything until you're done with your work?"

I paused, not sure what to say. "Honestly," I started, "I don't know why. I just don't feel ready yet I guess"

"Giving yourself some time" Steam said.

"Exactly" I replied.

"Alright" Petunia replied.

"What is it that you're working on anyways?" Hail asked.

I paused, not sure if I could tell them. I decided that I should, as they could be part of it.

"Well," I started, "recently I discovered something called 'Plan H'. I discussed it with the commander of the Atlas military, Lleu Thunder, and he's currently getting the file that I found translated. Meanwhile, we have reason to believe that it could be a major threat. So we're looking for the best hunters to assist us in stopping it"

"So you think that the best place to find those hunters is in the tournament?" Hail asked.

"Right" I replied.

"Clever" Hail said.

"Currently Thunder is interested in putting us on that list of hunters, so you guys should think a bit about that" I added.

"We should wait until they get the file translated" Petunia decided.

"I agree" Steam said.

"If its threatening," Hail started, "then I'm in"

"Alright" I replied.

"So how did you find that file anyways?" Petunia asked.

I hesitated again, "On a mission." I replied, "Found it a little while ago"

"What kind of mission?" Petunia persisted.

I sighed. "That's part of the catching up" I replied.

"Well now that you've told us part of the story we need to know the rest" Hail pointed out.

"I guess that's true." I replied, "Alright, get comfortable, this could take a while"

I sighed again, trying to find a place to start. "Where to start?" I wondered.

"Did it start before Beacon?" Petunia asked.

"Yes," I replied, "but I don't remember that far back" That was somewhat true, but partially a lie too.

"As you know my brother, Harrison, was a Faunus. A fox to be more specific." I started, "his semblance was the ability to transform into animals temporarily. And mine was the ability to see into the immediate future. Well, after Beacon we heard about a science experiment that could enhance one's semblance. They were in need of human or Faunus test subjects, so we signed up.

"After the experiments were completed, my semblance of course became what it is today. I can now see up to twenty-four hours into the future. The side-effects were that I wouldn't always be able to see into the future, and that it was impossible to predict when it would happen. I can rarely see into the future the full twenty-four hours either. And of course, my left eye turned white afterwards.

"Harrison, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. His semblance made him able to transform into animals for an extended period of time. However, that extension turned into an eternity. Thus, he transformed into a baby fox one day and was never able to change back"

This brought some surprised looks and small gasps.

"After that Harrison and I began to work together." I continued, "But work stopped coming as easily. Perhaps it was after I changed my attire and overall look, or maybe people didn't think they could trust a gang member and a baby fox. I wasn't a gang member, but I kind of look like one. So once work got worse, we resorted to other forms of work. More specifically, I killed whatever I was paid to. Grimm, humans, Faunus. If it paid well, I did it.

"So during one of my missions to kill someone I came upon a large complex and discovered the Plan H file." I said. "The man I killed and retrieved the file from was part of the criminal underworld of that particular town, called Aldbay. I went to one of their parties to investigate, and discovered that a relative of Cinder Fall was the leader of the gang"

Surprised looks sprayed themselves over everyone's faces. Apparently they'd stopped gasping.

"We started fighting," I continued, "and Harrison died in the process. The Fall disappeared afterwards"

Silence spread across the whole house. One could hear a pin drop on a soft carpet in the attic.

"Okay." Petunia said, "Good to get that out of the way then eh?"

"What?" I asked. Now it was my turn to be surprised.

"Well you seemed to be dreading telling us that," She said, "now that you've done it, we're all satisfied"

"Were you expecting something else?" Hail asked.

"I don't know." I replied, "I've done some pretty horrible things, so-"

"We all have." Petunia said, "Trust me, we've all had to kill people before"

"Really?" I asked.

"What hunter hasn't?" Hail asked, "We've all got to do things that we don't want to sometimes. As hunters we have the skills to inflict more severe punishment against others, so naturally we've all acted on impulse"

"The science is pretty weird though" Steam said.

Everyone nodded in agreement, "Yeah that is pretty crazy" Hail added.

There was a brief moment of silence.

"Well do you guys want to watch some TV or something?" Hail asked.

She was answered by variations of "Sure"

"Cool" She said, flicking the television on and scrolling through the channels.

As we watched I found myself distracted by how surprised I was about their lack of reaction. But they were right, we'd all done terrible things, either on impulse or because we had to.

* * *

**So there you have it. Gazini is the product of science, and Harrison was actually his brother. I bet some of you were confused about that back in Crimson I. **

**Also, this has come up before: Gazini's former attire. What do ya'll think that means? I know what it means, but I want to hear what you guys think/how you think it affected Gazini.**

**This will be the last chapter of Crimson II for now, but we will return. I've already continued with it on the full document, so you have my guarantee that it will resume in the near(ish) future. **

**If you have any questions, concerns, or issues about this chapter, shoot me a review or PM me. I'm happy to answer any questions nagging at your minds (as long as they don't involve spoilers). This was a bigger chapter, so some things may be more difficult to understand. **

**Anyways, as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter. **


	37. Green II Chapter 1

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall! **

**I'm sure many of you are confused right now as to why I'm updating on a Saturday and not on Monday, but the reason is because I'm leaving for the summer earlier than I expected. I'll be posting this chapter today, and another (hopefully) on Monday (a few days from now). After that there won't be another chapter for about two weeks, so I'm just giving you something to read during that time.**

* * *

I arrived at the arena just after lunch. I'd eaten a hearty meal with my new team, WRGE (rogue), before the start of the match. Round one was finally finished, which took about a week. Round two was promised to be quicker, but I wasn't so sure. The teams who moved on to this round are either strong or lucky. With a disorganized team like ours, I worry that we'll be able to make it to the next round. But that's not particularly important to me, I'm just here to test myself and have a good time.

There were several competitors in the waiting area, gathered together in groups of four and talking amongst themselves.

I turned to my teammates, who were just behind me, "So what's the plan?" I asked.

"Go for separate enemies." Wintanweorth, our leader, replied, "It worked last time. We aren't very well coordinated together, so just stay out of one another's way. Got it?" He looked around at everyone for confirmation. Ember, a seventeen-year-old woman behind me, nodded. I turned around. Ember was a tall woman, with long dark orange hair that was parted at her forehead. Her hair fell down her back, then curled upwards slightly. She had tan skin and narrow purple eyes. Her face was ever serious, with a constant frown that never seemed to waver. I don't believe I'd ever seen her teeth before, not even when she ate. On her cheeks were six green tattoos, three on either side. They were shaped like small scratches. She wore a dark brown muscle shirt and an orange jacket with breast pockets over top of it. Around her neck she wore an army dog tag around her neck. I'd never gotten close enough to see what it said, nor did I know where she got it. She wore dark brown pants which covered her orange, metal shoes. Or at least that's what they told me. Her hands had been replaced by dark orange robotic ones with a gun attachment underneath both and an extendable blade on top of them as well. I found it hard to believe that her feet were that small, so I suspected that they had been replaced as well.

"That sounds like a bad idea" Roy said next to me in response to Wintanweorth's plan. I turned. Roy Sho was an interesting person. His face and voice were completely bland. He spoke in a constant monotone, and his face, like Ember's, never changed. He was always serious. Only his lips were straight, unlike Ember's frown. He had pale skin and white eyes. Not that his eyes were blank, the outlines of his pupils existed, but their insides were white. He had grey hair that was short on the sides and longer on the top, swished to the side and spiking up a bit at the ends. At the back it was longer and tied into a small ponytail. He wore a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows. The inside of the shirt was black, so when the collar folded outwards at his neck it was black. The shirt was buttoned right up to his neck, which looked very uncomfortable. On top of his shirt be wore a black vest, and below his waist he wore grey pants and formal black shoes.

"Excuse me?" Wintanweorth asked, turning around to face him.

"It's a bad idea." Roy repeated, "The first round teams were amateurs. Now everyone will likely be seasoned hunters. We need a safe plan of attack if we plan on progressing"

"Pick an opponent and fight him or her." He decided, "That good enough?"

"Barely sufficient" Roy replied.

"I've settled for less" Wintanweorth said, turning back around and disappearing into the crowd. Ember followed after him.

I was surprised. Wintanweorth wasn't so rude before.

"Something's wrong" I said.

"I agree" Roy replied.

I sighed, looking at him.

"His plan of attack was mediocre." Roy said, "It's lacking something"

"Well why don't we come up with our own strategy?" I suggested, "They won't have to be in on it, just you and me"

He turned to me, "Good idea" He said.

"Let's find a place to sit down first," I said, "we may have a while to wait before we fight"

"Good idea," Roy said, "conserving energy for the fight"

"Standing requires very little energy but I guess that's as good a reason as any" I said.

As we started towards the cafeteria I bumped into someone much taller than me.

"Sorry" I said, walking past them.

"Grizzlibear?" the person asked.

I turned. It was professor Lime.

"Lime?" I asked, "I didn't expect to see you here"

"Nor did I to you." She said, "You really shouldn't be here. These people are very powerful. You're not ready yet"

"How do you know?" I asked.

"You're so young." She said, "You don't have enough experience to get anywhere"

"Careful Lime," I said, "I'm already in the second round"

She frowned and walked off, rejoining her teammates.

"Who was that?" Roy asked with so little interest that I almost didn't respond.

"A hunting professor of mine" I replied.

"Is she strong?" He asked.

"Yes," I replied, "I've sparred with her before. She's a good huntress for sure"

"I see" Roy replied.

"Of course she always held back when she fought us" I added.

"Why is that?" Roy asked.

"Well if she went all-out we'd be annihilated." I replied, "She's a seasoned huntress, and at the times when I fought her I was only a child"

"She'll be going all-out today." Roy said, "What if we have to fight her?"

"Then I'll go all-out too" I replied.

**Line**

"Where have you two been?!" Wintanweorth asked, clearly angry. "Our match is about to start!"

"Already?" I asked. Roy and I had discussed strategies for about three hours now. We had fought in the first round around the beginning, but I didn't expect them to get to us today still.

"Yes idiot," Wintanweorth replied, "Now get off your butt and let's go!"

He grabbed my arm and pulled me up. When I yanked my arm away he looked at me angrily.

"I'm perfectly capable of walking myself" I said, turning and walking out towards the arena, where I'd retrieve my weapons and wait for the match to start.

When I arrived I was handed my weapons, Barbed Gustav. Barbed Gustav is two pistols. Each gun is a round, short black cylinder with two identical rectangular black barrels sticking out of either end, in the shape of a pistol. The barrels are split into three smaller rectangles, the top and bottom ones being black, and the center one being dark red. The top on fires bullets and the bottom one holds the magazine for the opposite barrel. I hold onto the grips on the top of each barrel when I fire, and due to the extra barrel am able to flip the gun and keep firing. The barrels can rotate along the black cylinder between them, and when they straighten out I can attach them to each other to create a staff. On one end of the staff a rounded, curving blade can extend out. On the other end are three sharp forks, like a pitchfork but the forks come out around the tip of the barrel to form a triangle shape. The forks stick out at an angle, then bend inwards towards the tip of the barrel. I can extend these blades when Barbed Gustav is in gun mode as well.

Wintanweorth stood in front of us, Reitō no Fukushū strapped to his back. Ember stood next to him and Roy next to me. We stood behind the two.

As the doors opened I heard the announcer.

"ON THIS SIDE WE HAVE TEAM WRGE, RETURNING TO US FROM THE FIRST ROUND! AND ON THIS SIDE, TEAM LLPP (lollipop), RETURNING FROM THAT MAGNIFICENT VICTORY IN ROUND ONE!"

As we stepped forward into the arena, I scanned the people before us. Sure enough, there was Lime, standing in the middle of her multicolored team.

Lime and I made eye-contact. Her gaze was fierce, and it made me shake.

"That's Lime." Roy said, then saw me shaking. "She's going all-out. What are you going to do?"

I felt like he was trying to sound really epic, and he could have, if his voice had any expression. Nevertheless, it helped, and I stopped shaking. I felt my semblance beginning to activate, and my eyes began to glow with yellow fire.

"I'm going all-out" I replied.

* * *

**So there you have it. Another fight is about to start. This may look like its going to be a Crimson II rehash (only with Grizzly over Gazini), but I can assure that it won't be. The story will be picking up very soon too. **

**Also, one quick note, Grizzly's weapon, Barbed Gustav (poorly described, I'm sorry), is actually inspired by the guns Brandon Heat/Beyond the Grave wields in the anime Gungrave. So if your having trouble imagining his weapon, try looking those up, then making them smaller and trying to meld those and the description I gave together. **

**Anyways, as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter. **

barbed gustav inspired by gungrave


	38. Green II Chapter 2

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**You know, its funny how the ideas I have for this story I've had for so long, to the point where its almost just common sense to me. Then when I mention them to people they wouldn't have even thought of it, so it ends up being a spoiler. That recently happened with one of my friends, and he wasn't too happy about it.**

**Also, I've hit yet another cloud of writer's block recently (I think), but luckily I'm several weeks ahead in my writing already. Still, I takes me out of the mood of the characters and story, so when I go back to it it may be difficult to continue. But I can assure you that HellFall won't end for a _very_ long time.**

**As promised, here is next week's chapter. **

* * *

The battle started. Both our teams charged forward, weapons drawn. Raising one pistol, I fired off several rounds, all of which were deflected.

I wasn't surprised to see that Lime went straight for me. She raised her blade above her head, bringing it down hard upon me. I side-stepped, avoiding the blow, then quickly put my pistols together and swung sideways, my staff bouncing off of Lime's aura.

Lucky for me, I knew Lime's fighting style, and any surprises that she could conjure up were already known to me. Her weapon, Twisted Catastrophe, was a broadsword with a gun at the end of the blade. Two sharp points stuck out of either side of the top of the silver blade. Unfortunately for me, however, she knew my fighting style and weapon, which meant that I wouldn't be able to pull any surprises either.

Or so she thought.

Roy and I had planned out our own dual attack strategy. I just hoped that it'd work.

Lime swung her blade sideways towards me. Barbed Gustav came up, deflecting the blow.

"Roy!" I called.

Just then Roy burst into the fight, sword swinging in from the side. Roy's silver blade had a long, jagged blade and a diamond-shaped tip at the top. The hilt was thick, long, and dark red, with black stripes looping around it. The handle was very long as well. When it transformed into gun mode the hilt would extend out and cover the blade, and the long handle would bend downwards to make a gun handle. The tips of the hilt at the end of the blade would then be able to fire a laser. It was the only laser gun I'd ever seen.

With Lime holding me off she was going to have to take a hit. Either she would block Roy and leave herself open for me, or take a hit from Roy.

She had a few surprises up her sleeve, however, literally.

Her arm shot up, colliding with Roy's blade. His sword, ShoGun, cut through her sleeve, revealing the metal gauntlet underneath.

Just then another member of the team charged towards us. It was a man, likely the one who had been fighting Roy at first.

"Grizzly!" Roy called in monotone. I turned my head, then leapt into the air, narrowly avoiding his blow. Lime's Twisted Catastrophe took the hit instead, knocking the blade from her hand.

I saw the opportunity.

Separating my staff into two pistols, I fired off rounds at her back from where I was in the sky. When the magazine ran out of both my pistols, I flipped them upside down and continued firing. As I did so I reached into my cloak with my head (I'd practiced loading my guns without my hands, so my neck was very flexible), pulled two clips out with my mouth, and loaded them into the bottom of each gun. By the time I finished I was back on the ground.

Still firing at Lime's back, I charged towards her. She had already picked her sword back up, and was now clashing with Roy along with the other man.

Running and dropping to the ground, I slid between Lime's separated legs and fired a few rounds up at her chin. Immediately she fell backwards, taking the hit hard and landing on her back. Leaping back to my feet, Roy and I faced the man.

As we clashed, Lime stood up, her chin bleeding. I didn't notice, but Roy did just at the last second.

"Duck!" He called, turning towards me and planting his palm on the back of my neck. I hunched over, giving Roy more room to leap over me and deflect Lime's attack.

We stood side-by-side for a while, deflecting attacks and attacking each other's opponents.

Roy was smacked hard in the face, causing him to stagger backwards. Lime took several more swipes at him, knocking him on his backside and rendering him unable to fight. The man I fought was weakening, so I quickly dispatched him with a stronger attack to even out the odds.

Lime turned to face me, blade in hand. Turning to her, I charged, staff drawn, curved blade and pitchfork extended. Flipping it around so that the pitchfork faced her, I stabbed forward. Her blade came up, catching the staff right in between the forks. Pulling the trigger, I fired off a bullet and launched her sword back. Spinning the staff in my hands, I brought the curved blade up towards her. Her arm appeared, blocking the blow with her gauntlets.

Immediately I spun the staff back around, clashing my pitchfork against the top of her gauntlets and stabbing forward, piercing her aura. Barbed Gustav bounced back, and Twisted Catastrophe came up, firing off a round from the gun at the end right next to my head. My ear started ringing, but I pushed past it. My focus was on Lime, not my ear.

I adjusted my staff so that it hit Twisted Catastrophe and knocked it away from me, then stepped back. Pulling Barbed Gustav up in staff form and aiming, I got ready to fire. As a staff it could also act as a rifle, as barrels stuck out on either end. I pulled the trigger, and all of a sudden Lime exploded into blue plasma. Shocked and falling backwards, I looked down at Barbed Gustav in awe.

As Lime stood up there was another explosion of blue plasma, and I realized that I wasn't responsible for it. Turning, I saw Roy walking towards her, ShoGun in gun mode and aimed straight at her.

She staggered to her feet, only to receive another blast to the gut. She raised her gauntlets as she stood yet again, only to have the steel shattered and her body go flying across the arena and slam into one of the surrounding walls.

"Think she's had enough?" Roy asked nonchalantly.

"Hopefully" I replied.

We turned to Wintanweorth and Ember, who were fighting back-to-back against the last two members of Team LLPP.

"Should we help them out?" I asked.

"We've got no choice" Roy replied.

As we charged towards them we noticed that both Wintanweorth and Ember were wounded and tired. Ember was even bleeding in several places.

"Call aggro" I told Roy, who upon hearing that turned and ran in another direction. That was one strategy we had. Whoever said 'call aggro' would draw all attention to themself while the other sneaks around for a surprise attack.

Drawing both pistols, I fired several shots into the air and at the ground. Sure enough, both opponents turned towards me. I started firing straight now, right at the nearest one. He deflected the shot easily. I adjusted one of my pistols and fired at the other. Both deflected the shots easily with their aura, and still continued to fight against our teammates. But it was enough to throw them off.

Roy charged in, knocking the man fighting Ember aside and leaping on top of him.

The woman Wintanweorth was fighting against showed a sign of brief surprise on her face. _An opening!_ I thought, leaping forward, semblance activated.

I grabbed onto her shoulder, wrapping my arms around her neck and pulled backwards, toppling her. As she fell I spun around to her front, drawing both pistols and aiming one at her head, the other at her hand.

She started to raise her weapon before I shot it out from her fingers. She raised both hands, signaling defeat.

"AND OUR WINNER IS," the announcer started, "TEAM WRGE!"

Everyone cheered. I stood up, looking around at all the cheering people. Sheathing Barbed Gustav I smiled and waved to everyone. Turning I saw Wintanweorth leaving, with Ember right behind him. Roy started towards the exit as well. I continued waving as I left, and eventually disappeared behind the doors into the fighters' waiting room.

* * *

**A little shorter than some past ones, but oh well. **

**I don't have much to say other than that this'll be the last chapter for the next two or so weeks, so you know I'm not forgetting to post (although I addressed that in the last chapter already). **

**Also, Roy's weapon, the ShoGun, is one of my favorites of the weapons that I made, and I've made a lot of weapons, which you will learn over the course of the entirety of this story. **

**One last thing, we reached over 5,000 total views recently, which is pretty great. Thanks for all the support thus far guys, and I hope that you'll continue to enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing.**

**Anyways, wish me luck for the rest of the summer, and as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter. **


	39. Green II Chapter 3

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Man, its been quite a while. This certainly doesn't feel normal anymore. Although I haven't had internet connection for about a week and a half so that's bound to happen. Its been great not having it though, because its so distracting when you do have it. **

**For those of you wondering, I've been up at summer camp as a counselor, which means that I've been leading a bunch of kids in activities and such. So far its been great, and I almost didn't want to come home this weekend. **

**At camp I've had a whole lot of inspiration for other stories and what I'll do with already planned out ones, so look forward to when those start to come out, whether it be here or on Fictionpress. **

**Anyways, there's my little life update. Now, on with the chapter! **

* * *

We handed in our weapons and started towards the cafeteria.

"Grizzly," Wintanweorth started, the anger from earlier still in his voice. I looked up hesitantly. He bit his lip, "Thanks" He finally said.

I felt myself smile, "No problem!" I replied, "We're a team, right?"

He sighed, "Right" He replied, forcing a smile.

As we reached the cafeteria door Wintanweorth's scroll rang. Pulling it out and flipping it open, he sighed and said, "I have to take this. Hold on." He answered it and walked a little ways from us. "Hello?" He asked into the scroll, "Sorry, I'm in the tournament. The Hunter's Tournament, of course. I told you, I'm taking personal days. I'm out? Vacation days then. I can't do that? What do you mean?" He glanced back at us nervously, and I started to understand why he had been so off today.

"Then just don't pay me!" He exclaimed, then was immediately silenced. He hung up his scroll without and word and slipped it back into his pocket quietly. We all watched him for a second. He started pacing, frustration clear on his face. He slammed his fist against the wall, breaking through the plaster, "Dammit!" He yelled.

We started towards him, but he waved us away with his hand. "I'm fine" I stammered, punching another hole in the wall, "son of a-" he didn't finish his sentence.

"You okay?" Ember asked.

"No, dammit!" Wintanweorth replied, kicking a hole in the hall, "Mother of a flying goose fu-" He stopped himself before he finished the actual word. I knew that he wasn't the person to use language like that typically.

"What is it?" Ember asked.

"I just got fired" He replied.

Ember gasped.

"Where did you work again?" I asked.

"I was head of shipping in a cabinet company" He replied.

"Are office jobs very hard to find?" I asked.

"No, they aren't!" He replied angrily, "But it's hard to find one with decent people"

"So your coworkers were your friends?" I asked.

"No," Wintanweorth replied, "they were too stupid to be mean"

"Oh" I replied.

He stood still for second, then reached out towards the wall again. Ember reached out and grabbed his arms.

"Calm down, Wintanweorth," she said, "this isn't like you. Besides, with experience like what you have, it shouldn't be hard to find a new job"

Slowly he lowered his arms, "Right," he replied, "I'll find a new job after the tournament"

"How are you going to take care of yourself?" I asked.

"I think that I have enough savings." He replied, "I'll probably be fine"

"And if you don't?" I asked.

"Then I'll need to stay with someone else" He replied.

"Like Ember?"

"We already live together"

"Oh." I replied, "So are you guys married or something?"

"No," Wintanweorth replied, "she's my daughter"

"Oh." I said, "Then why do you have different last names"

"Why do you ask so many questions?" He retorted.

"Sorry." I replied, "I'm just curious"

"Well she's adopted." Wintanweorth said, "I didn't have any significant other when I adopted her"

"Have you ever been married?" I asked.

"Is this your last question?" He asked.

I paused to think, "Potentially" I replied.

Wintanweorth laughed a little, "No, I haven't"

"Hmm" I said.

"What?" He asked.

"Just processing all the information" I replied.

"Asked too many questions too quickly to process it all, eh?" He asked.

"Guess so" I replied.

Wintanweorth looked at the wall, then back at us, "Let's get out of here before we get fined" He said.

"Good idea" Ember said. We entered the cafeteria, ate, then left.

**Line**

Roy and I walked to the bus stop and stood there together. Wintanweorth and Ember had a car, so they returned home in that. We weren't so lucky.

"So can you drive?" I asked Roy.

"I'm sure I could figure it out" he replied.

There was a brief pause, "So where do you live?" I asked.

"Atlas" He replied.

"Well, duh," I said, "but I mean where specifically? Like, what street or general area?"

He pointed down the street, "Way down there" He replied.

"Oh," I said, "I live somewhere behind you then"

The bus arrived and we both got on. The seats were all taken, so we grabbed a pole to steady ourselves as the bus started moving.

"Hey," Someone started, "you guys were in the tournament today." We turned to him. I didn't recognize him. "Great job, by the way"

"Thanks" I replied.

"You guys could win the whole thing, maybe." He paused, "No, you could get close, but there's no way your winning"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked irritably. This guy was very rude.

"Well, Guenianne Radiance is in it this year" He replied.

I stared at him, confused.

"Guenianne?" I asked.

"Don't you watch the tournaments?" He asked.

I shook my head.

"Guenianne won last year," Roy said from behind me, "and every year for the four years before that"

"There we go," the man said, "this guy clearly knows his hunters"

"I read an article once online about it" Roy replied.

The man sighed.

"Who's her team?" I asked.

"She doesn't have one." The man replied, "It's what makes her so special. Every year she goes in alone, and every year she wins'

My eyes widened, "Seriously?" I asked.

"Yes." The man replied, "Her fights are insane. You should really watch some of them. Learn her fighting style and such. You'll have a chance then"

Foggy Cove!" The bus driver called.

"This is my stop." Roy said, turning to the opening doors, "Have a good night Grizzly"

"You too" I replied. The doors shut, and the bus kept moving. Roy stood still for second, looking around before finally starting in a direction.

The bus turned a few times, stopping occasionally until it reached my stop.

"Cider Isle!" the driver called.

The doors slid open and I hopped off the bus and onto the sidewalk.

The bus pulled away behind me as I started forward. My year at Signal had ended, as it was summer time, so I was living at home again. I arrived at the front door and used my key to open it.

"I'm home!" I called, walking in.

Nicole Rozovyy appeared from one of the other rooms, "Took you long enough" She said sarcastically.

"You leave early?" I asked, starting forward.

"I fought in the first match," she replied, "so yeah, I didn't have a lot to do"

"Hmph," I said, looking at her. She was wearing a pale pink sleeveless shirt and baggy white pants, and her hair was tied back in a single ponytail instead of the usual two on the sides, "How'd the fight go?"

"Good," she replied, "We're moving onto the next round, so that's exciting"

I nodded, starting to wander, "I still can't get over how big your house is" I said, looking around. The front area was already massive, with a door leading to two different rooms on either side, and a tall, wide staircase on the left. On the right side, just next to the staircase, was a short, wide hallway that leads to the kitchen.

"Only the front is big," she pointed out, "I don't have an excess amount of rooms or anything. All the rooms have a purpose"

"What, like your guitar room?" I asked, snickering a little.

She frowned, "It's not only for guitars!" She exclaimed, "I have… multiple guitars in it. And a violin, harp, and grand piano"

"None of which you can play"

"I can play the guitars"

"Right" I replied.

"I still can't believe that your parents let you stay here while you're at the tournament" Nicole said.

"Well you certainly are a nice person." I said, "I'm sure my parents saw that pretty quickly"

"I guess so" she replied, turning and heading back towards her instrument room.

"Hey, Grizzly?" She started, turning around as I made my way to the staircase. I stopped and looked over. "You wanna do some practicing before dinner?"

"Sure," I replied, "Hold on, just let me put my stuff away"

She disappeared into the room and I ran up the stairs. At the top there were four rooms. Nicole's room, a guest room (my room for the time-being) a bathroom, and an attic. Unfortunately, I didn't know where the attic was, and Nicole refused to tell me where it was.

I walked into the guest room and unpinned my green cloak, then hung it up on the end of the bedframe. Withdrawing both pistols of Barbed Gustav, I started to set them down, then hesitated and set them down on my bed anyway, intending on picking them up before heading downstairs.

I reached up and unbuttoned my brown vest and white shirt, pulling them both off and throwing them on top of Barbed Gustav. My pants landed on them soon after, leaving me only in my underwear. Going to the closet I pulled out a pair of green footie pajamas. The guys at Signal had made fun of me for still wearing them, but there were still sizes being sold that were big enough for me, so clearly I wasn't too old (I was also short for my age though, being fifteen and only about five feet tall). Either way, I donned them with pride. None of the other kids could understand the genuine comfort and freedom felt when wearing footie pajamas.

Making my way downstairs and forgetting about Barbed Gustav, I joined Nicole in the instrument room, where I played piano and she played her guitar.

As we hit the thirty minute mark of practice, there was a tapping on the door.

* * *

**So there you have it. Not a whole lot happened, but another good ol' cliffhanger. The story is going to pick up from here on out, with the tournament being a bit less important, but still important nonetheless. **

**Also, Guenianne Radiance. She's kind of important. You may not recognize her name and that is because I (to my knowledge) made it up. It comes from the names Guenevere and Arianne I believe (its been a while since I made up this character). It'll make sense later on why her name is a combination of those two, but for now I won't say any more about her. **

**And yeah, that's about it. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter. **


	40. Green II Chapter 4

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Man, this last week just breezed by. Not that it was easy, but it feels like it went by really quickly. **

* * *

"I'll get it." Nicole said, setting down her guitar and standing up, "It's my house. Chances are they're looking for me"

She went to the door and opened it up. I stayed where I was at the grand piano, my fingers hovering just above the keys. I looked up at the top of the piano, which was held open by a metal rod.

"Okay" I heard Nicole say, stepping into the room. Two men walked in, both wearing suspicious-looking black trench coats with the collars pulled up past their mouths. I eyed them curiously, wondering who they could be.

"They're from the Atlas police department." Nicole said, "They want to make sure that you are legally allowed to be here"

"Oh," I said, standing up, "hold on. I'll get my parents' note. It has their signature on it too" I started upstairs and the police officers didn't say or do anything. They simply watched me head up the stairs.

Reaching my room I looked through my closet and found the note in a suitcase on the floor. When I returned downstairs there was only one police officer, and Nicole had gone too.

"Here you are" I said, handing the man the note. He took it and looked it over. "So where'd your partner go?" I asked, curious. "And did you see where Nicole went too?"

His gaze altered to look down at me, almost robotically. In an instant his hand was on my mouth, and I couldn't breathe. I reached up and grabbed his hand, trying desperately to pull it off. It was no use, his grip was hard. Activating my semblance, I put all my power into getting out from his grip. Slowly, his hand eased up, until eventually I completely yanked it off. Sliding away from him, I caught my breath. He straightened, turning to stare down at me.

"Where's Nicole?" I panted.

No response. Instead he started walking towards me. I scooted backwards, trying to get away from him. He walked faster than I could slide, so I stood and backed away, passing through an empty doorway. As he neared I reached to my sides for Barbed Gustav. It wasn't there. Looking up I saw that he was very close to me now.

Turning around I ran to the knife rack. As I ran for it he wrapped his thick arms around my neck. I grabbed his arms, activating my semblance and pushing my aura to the limit. I threw myself out from under his arms and around until my legs wrapped around his neck. He reached up and grabbed me, trying to pull me off. I twisted my legs, hearing a loud _crack!_ and sliding off. His body fell limp to the ground.

I stared down at him in horror. I'd just killed him. _I've never killed a person before_, I thought, terrified, less of the consequences and more of how it'd affect my mentally.

Even after catching my breath I sat on the ground, staring at the body. Finally I snapped out of it, realizing the task at hand. I needed to find Nicole and the other 'police officer'. Running to the window, I saw a car parked there, with a figure in the front seat. Focusing on him, I was able to see that it was the second man.

Almost as soon as I arrived at the window, however, he opened the door and got out. A gun came from his coat, and he aimed it at me. I ducked, hearing a bullet fly silently over my head and the glass window shatter.

The door was broken open, and he walked into the instrument room. I lifted a guitar over my head and brought it down on his, knocking him to the ground.

Kicking his gun away, I leapt onto him, wrapping my legs around his body and bringing my face close to his. Yanking down his collar, I asked:

"Who are you?"

He stared up at me, not responding. I punched him in the face, twisting his nose and making it bleed.

"Why are you here?" I demanded. In my anger my semblance activated yet again, and I felt my aura draining quickly. It would be completely gone soon.

He choked, and I saw that his mouth was void of anything. No teeth, no tongue, nothing. Just a dark tunnel at the end.

I was so surprised that I fell backwards off of him. It was partly from feeling so weak too. My consciousness slipped away almost immediately.

* * *

I awoke later in the back of a car. My mouth was covered, and my hands were tied behind my back. Sitting up, I looked around. The car was long. I was sitting in the third row of seats from the front. The seats were back-to-back with the second row of seats, where I saw Nicole lying on her side.

I tried to reach out, but my hands were tied. When I tried to yell, only a small sound came out. The driver glanced back, but didn't make a sound.

Turning around, I tried to find out what was confining my hands. It was a simple strip of cloth. Struggling for a few moments until my hands slipped out from it, I pulled my mouth cover off and went back to Nicole.

"Hey," I whispered, shaking her, "wake up"

I heard the driver cock a gun, which made me slink back to my seat in fear. After a moment I returned to Nicole and kept shaking her. Eventually she grumbled, her eyes opening slightly.

I raised my finger to my lips, signalling to be quiet. She sat up, glancing back at her makeshift handcuffs, then at the driver and the rest of the car.

I pointed to her hands. She adjusted herself so that I could pull them off. After she'd pulled her mouth cover off she glanced back at the driver. I slid back into my seat in the third row, signalling for her to follow me with my finger.

She climbed over, joining me in the back. "What's going on?" She asked quietly.

"I'm not sure." I replied, "They kidnapped us, I know that"

"No duh," she replied, looking back, "where's the other one?"

I paused, remembering what had happened. "I killed him" I replied.

She stared at me for a second, surprise on her face. "You did what you needed to." She finally whispered, "We all do it eventually, in this line of work at least"

I nodded, knowing that she was right.

She looked over the seat again at the driver.

"He's got a gun" I whispered.

"That complicates things" Nicole said, looking around. Outside we could see passing buildings shrouded in darkness.

"It's pretty late" she pointed out.

Just then my stomach growled loudly. We hadn't eaten dinner yet.

The driver fired a round into the seat soon after.

We both jumped, surprised. There was a bullet hole straight through the middle of the seat. Luckily, we were seated on either end of it.

"What do we do?" I whispered, quieter than before.

"I don't know" Nicole replied, glancing back over the seat. The driver fired another round, closer to her.

"We need to get that gun" I said.

"How?" she asked.

I glanced over the seat, seeing him holding the gun pointed at us while he stared at the road.

"He needs to drive and shoot," I pointed out, "why don't we try occupying him with one more thing?"

Nicole nodded in the darkness.

"I'll go" I said.

"It's too dangerous" She pointed out.

"I need you to interrogate him." I said, "With your semblance. Plus, my focus will work better"

"But do you have enough room to move around if that need arises?" She asked.

"I'll be fine" I replied, peering over the seat again.

"Be careful" She said.

"I will" I replied, slowly climbing over the seat.

* * *

**So there you have it. Kind of a crappy cliffhanger, but I don't like making these chapters too long, as I don't particularly enjoy reading long ones myself. **

**The story will be picking up from here. I felt like this chapter was somewhat awkward to read, but maybe that's just because i haven't read anything to do with this story for a long time. **

**Anyways, I really don't have a lot to say today, plus I'm a little tired. So as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter. **


	41. Green II Chapter 5

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Camp is going great still, but its been weird coming home and reentering the RWBY fandom. Lots of really weird stuff that I'd rather not look at.**

* * *

On the other side now, I activated my semblance. My aura had regenerated itself since my fight at Nicole's house, so my semblance was easy to use.

The driver glanced back, seeing me close, and fired off another round. I side-stepped, slamming into the side door of the car but avoiding the bullet. He looked back at the road, glancing back at me occasionally. I tried to run towards him, but he swerved, knocking me aside. Once he straightened himself he pointed his gun back at me while I was getting up and fired.

I saw the bullet as it quickly approached and reached up, catching it in midair.

The driver turned back to the road, then back to me. Too late. I was already in the front. I reached out and grabbed his coat collar, yanking him out of the seat. I slammed his head against the window, shattering the glass. The back of his head started bleeding.

"Grizzly!" Nicole called, pulling me out of the moment. I looked up, my eyes returning to normal.

"Right" I replied, going to the driver's seat and pressing my hand against the brake pedal until the car stopped entirely.

We both crawled over to the driver, who was leaning against the side door of the car, his head hanging out the broken window.

"I hope you didn't knock him out" She said, looking him over.

"I doubt it" I replied.

Nicole shook his shoulders, and his eyes twitched.

"Open up!" Nicole called, shaking him harder, "I can see that your awake, don't play dumb"

Slowly the man opened his eyes and looked at both of us, first at Nicole, then me, then Nicole again. _Perfect_, I thought as he looked straight into Nicole's eyes.

"Where are you taking us?" She asked.

"Wait" I said, stepping forward and prying his jaws open. Just like with the last guy, he had no teeth or tongue.

"Oh" Nicole said when she saw his mouth.

"Doesn't look like we can't get anything out of him." I said. "What now?"

She paused to think, the turned to him, "Take us home." She said.

"Shouldn't we investigate a little?" I asked.

"Yes," Nicole replied, "but we shouldn't go in unarmed"

"Right" I replied.

The driver stood and went back to the driver's seat. He sat down and drove us home.

"Go get my suitcases." Nicole told me when I got out, "I'll stay with him, just to make sure"

I ran upstairs, grabbing Barbed Gustav off my bed and latching it onto my belt, which I attached to my waist. I didn't grab my cloak, but went to grab Nicole's suitcases from her room.

As I ran to the door my stomach growled again. I spun around, ran to the kitchen, walked around the dead body, and made some sandwiches. Returning to the car I handed Nicole a few sandwiches and sat down.

"Thanks." She said, then turned to the driver and adjusted his head so that he looked at her, "Take us to your leader"

The driver turned back to the road and drove off.

Nicole joined me in the second row of seats where we ate our sandwiches. Suddenly she started laughing.

"What?" I asked.

"We're still in our PJ's" She said.

I looked down at my green footies, "Oh yeah." I said, laughing a little, "We'll be real intimidating when we show up"

"They'll crap themselves when they see those menacing feet" Nicole joked.

I laughed, almost spitting out my sandwich.

We kept eating for a little bit in silence.

"I wonder where we're going" I said finally, finishing my sandwiches.

"Me too." Nicole said, "We have to prepare for anything"

"Do you have any idea what this is about?" I asked her.

She shook her head, "No idea" She replied, finishing off her sandwich.

Hours later we arrived at a house on the corner of a street block. It was a small, square-shaped house.

The driver got out of the car and opened our door. As we started to get out he yanked us out onto the sidewalk.

"What the heck?" Nicole asked, angry.

"I guess that you weren't specific enough with your orders" I said.

The driver picked us up onto our feet and pushed us towards the building. He opened the door and shoved us inside.

The room we now stood in was empty. There was an open doorway on either wall before us. The man pushed us through the one on the right, leading us into an identical room. He led us to the corner of this room, where he stomped on the floor. A small trapdoor popped open. Both Nicole and I jumped. We hadn't even seen the edge of the door when it was closed.

The man pointed to the trapdoor, indicating for us to go in.

"Ladies first" I said slowly.

Hesitantly she climbed down into it and dropped down. There was no ladder.

"There's no ladder," I told the man, "how do we-" Before I could finish he pushed me through the door. I fell back first, but Nicole caught me before I hit the ground and broke my spine.

The man dropped down after us and pushed us further into the room, which was completely dark save for the spot where we stood.

I heard the trapdoor shut above us. Glancing back, I saw that we were completely covered by darkness.

"Heishi!" A man's deep voice called. "What are you going here? You need to knock them out first"

I felt myself begin panting frantically, terrified. The man before me was a Faunus, like me, but he wasn't like anything I'd ever seen before. He looked more like a deformed human with animal parts. His hair was pale grey and shaggy, sticking out in all directions. His skin was tan and his eyes were pale yellow. He wore a black T-shirt and a grey cargo vest. He wore a grey metal gauntlet on his left fist, and it reached up to his elbow. He wore black cargo pants which were tucked into heavy black boots. The deformity, however, was on his right hand, or rather, it was his hand. It was the hand of an armadillo, and instead of sticking straight outwards like a human hand bent downwards awkwardly. His back bulged out, and he was hunched over, a sand-colored armadillo shell sticking off of it. To top it off, an armadillo tail hung out from his rear.

The man, Heishi, stood next to us, not saying or doing anything. Instead he took us by the arms and pulled us closer to the deformed armadillo Faunus.

"Heishi!" The man called again, "What are you doing? Is there an error?" He stepped forward, observing Heishi in the darkness. Nicole leaned over to me.

"What's going on?" she asked.

I was about to respond when the grey-haired man said, "Nothing important Miss"

He went on observing Heishi. Pulling open his mouth and coat.

"Must be an older model," he mumbled, "2.7 perhaps? Hmm"

He stood up straight, looking at us.

"No matter." He said. "I guess that I'll just have to deal with you myself" He pulled his left fist back, then swung at me. I reached up and caught his fist in midair. "A Faunus?" He asked, looking up at my bear ears. "This'll be interesting" He leapt backwards, creating a fair amount of distance between us.

"Nicole," I started, "looks like I'm about to get into a fight. If you can, stay out of the way"

"How?" She asked.

"Find the edge of the room," I replied, "and stay there"

I heard her backing up behind me until she hit the wall and stopped.

"Heishi!" The man called, "Leave us, I'll call you back later for observation"

Heishi disappeared, running off and vanishing somewhere. Through a hidden door I assumed.

"Who are you?" I called, reaching for Barbed Gustav.

"Rocco Trask." He replied, "And you?"

"Grizzly Karzen" I replied.

Rocco smiled, "Well, Grizzly Karzen, I must admit that I've never seen someone get to me conscious. I'm impressed. How did you do it?"

"I have my ways" I replied.

Rocco leaned forward, his yellow eyes widening.

"Show me."

* * *

**So there you have it, another cliffhanger. Sorry. **

**You may recognize the name and hair color of Rocco from Violet I. I hope that you guys already figured that out, but if you haven't then whatever. Violet I was a while ago. **

**Also, just last night I got a message to write up a chapter just for describing the characters and what they look like, just as a recap. I'll be doing that in the next chapter (which I'll post today), and I'll only be doing the eight main characters. If you want anymore to be done though, I'll try to do so in the future.**

**Anyways, that's about it, so as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter.**


	42. Profiles Part 2

**Hello everyone!**

**So this is my list of the eight main characters and just a recap of what they look like and who they are. Someone recently messaged me about it, so I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea. **

**If you want any other characters do be done in one of these I'll be sure to take care of that in the future.**

**So let's get on with it then!**

* * *

**Gazini Void**

**-Wears a yellow undershirt, brown button-up shirt, and heavy brown coat over top. The brown shirt is unbuttoned a little bit, just enough to show his yellow undershirt. He wears thick blue jeans and shoes (use your imagination, they aren't important)**

**-His hair is crimson (or blood red, whichever is easier to imagine). His bangs 'swoosh' to the side, covering his left eye, which is white. The other side of his hair is pulled back, revealing his forehead. The back of his hair curves outwards. I'm sorry I don't know what kind of hairdo this is classified as, I just know I like how it looks. **

**-When I say that his eye is white, I don't mean that its completely white. The outline of his pupils and other eye parts are pale grey, but overall its white. His right eye is dark blue**

**-His sword, Arkynshihn, which I guess you could call a broadsword, is about six feet tall (from blade to the bottom of the handle), and about two feet across. The blade is divided into two halves. The bottom half isn't actually sharp, its blunt. The top half is sharp, and can slide into the bottom half. It also extends out to increase the range of the blade. The blade has four holes in it (two on each half, on either side of the blade), each one shaped like parallelograms. The hilt is dark gold and rectangular. The guard is two long 'strips' that stick out of the sides and curve slightly. The hilt is a rectangle, with the corners missing out of the bottom of it (sorry if that's confusing, try drawing it if you need to). The handle is long and grey, with a gold ball at the bottom of it. On the hilt (at the base of the blade) are two circles, and just above the handle is an X shape. **

**-His semblance is his all-seeing eye. With it he can see up to 24 hours into the future. However, he can rarely see more than a few minutes, and oftentimes can't even see into the future. Its very unpredictable. **

**Nicole Rozovyy**

**-Her clothing is more difficult to describe. She wears a bright pink strapless dress and a red vest over top. The vest is tightly laced together at the front. She wears bright pink sleeves, separate from her dress (kind of confusing, I know), that frill slightly at the ends. She wears pink high heeled shoes that seem to be made more of lace than being a solid shape (I don't know what those are called, but I think you probably know what I'm referring to).**

**-Her hair is bight pink, like her dress, and is tied up into two ball-like ponytails on either side of her head. Her hair is very tightly pulled up, so nothing sticks out the back. **

**-Nicole wears a crapton of make-up, to the point where her face appears to be somewhat fake. Her cheeks are covered by a bit of blush, but otherwise her face looks pretty much perfect. She is only a little taller than five feet. **

**-Her weapons, Sherry, Candace, and Tina, are a lance, sword, and revolver. Sherry is a single-edged thick blade with a square guard covering the handle. A gun barrel pops out the top of the blade, and a trigger comes out of the handle, making it a gun. A belt of bullets can be attached into the barrel. Candace is a long lance. The blade at the end retracts to reveal a gun barrel. A bullet magazine can then be loaded into the shaft of the lance, the pole bends downwards to make a handle. Both Sherry and Candace can connect through a screw at the bottom of each. One screws into the other to create Shared Candy. Tina, however, is its own weapon. Its a revolver with multiple different kinds of dust in the cylinder. A long blade stretches out from underneath the barrel. The blade curves downwards in a half-circle shape before coming to a point at the end.**

**-Her semblance is called charm. Anyone who looks into her dark brown, almost black eyes, has to obey anything she says as long as they look at her. **

**Azure Blaze**

**-Her Part 2 attire hasn't been revealed yet, so I can't say anything about her. When she does return, however, I will describe it. Its somewhat complicated though, but I'll do my best when the time comes. **

**-Nothing about Azure has really been revealed since her near-death experience in Azure I, but I can azure you that I'll reveal everything as it comes**

**Wintanweorth Coal**

**-He wears a fancy black tuxedo with a white button-up shirt and a black bow tie. His pants are black as well. He wears black framed rectangular glasses. **

**-His hair is somewhat difficult to describe. Its white and tied back into a braid. His bangs are pulled back on one side of his head, and they stick up straight on the other. His bangs dip downwards and curve towards his forehead slightly (again, try drawing exactly what I've described if its confusing. Follow my descriptions like instructions).**

**-He has green eyes with slits as irises, like a cat. He has two faded white upside down triangular tattoos on his cheeks. The triangle curve inwards towards his nose. **

**-His weapon,**** Reitō no Fukushū (Frozen Vengeance in Japanese), is a long katana with a snowflake shape as the guard. The top and bottom points of the snowflake guard stretch upwards along the blade and downwards along the handle, which is laced with black leather. The bottom is silver and round, with a small hole in the bottom center where needle shurikens can be clicked in and fired out. **

**-His semblance has not yet been revealed, so I can't say anything on that. **

**Octavia Strom**

**-She wears a black turleneck sweater and a pale purple short-sleeved half-jacket over top. She wears dark blue skinny jeans. She wears a necklace with a diamond shaped grey piece of metal and a dark red jewel mounted onto it, in the same shape. Fairly simple attire. **

**-She has long dark violet dreadlocks. **

**-She has dark red eyes and pale skin, as well as notably larger breasts than most people. **

**-Her weapon, Thunder Cyclone, is an average battle hammer. A long pole with a grey rectangular prism on top (with rounded corners and edges). Its gun mode hasn't been revealed yet, so I won't say any more on that. **

**-Her semblance was the ability to gain energy from movement, meaning the more she fought, the more energy she got, and the longer and harder she could fight. However, she lost it in Violet I. **

**Grizzlibear 'Grizzly' Karzen**

**-He wears a yellow-ish white button-up long-sleeved shirt and a brown vest over top, with brown formal pants on the bottom. Typically this is all covered by his green cloak, similar to the ones in The Lord of the Rings. **

**-He has long shaggy green hair, with small brown bear ears sticking out of the top.**

**-He has yellow eyes and pale skin. He's just barely five feet tall. **

**-His weapon, Barbed Gustav, is two oddly shaped pistols. They are made up of two shapes: short cylinders and rectangles. The cylinders connect the handle to the barrels (in the middle of the weapon). The barrels/handles are made up of three rectangles, two long ones on top and one shorter ones in between. The barrels and handle are inter-changeable, meaning that when one barrel runs out of ammunition Grizzly only needs to flip it around and grab the barrel to keep firing. The bullet magazine is the bottom rectangle on each barrel/handle. The two pistols can straighten out and connect to create a staff. Out of either end blade come out. On one end three forks, or barbs, stick out and bend inwards slightly. On the other end is a short blade with a circular base and a blade tip that curves back. In staff mode the gun can still be fired, and in pistol mode the blades can still come out. **

**-His semblance is called focus. It allows him to focus completely on one thing, which makes him very effective at almost everything he does. A side effect of when he uses it, however, is that his eyes turn yellow and become 'fiery'.**

**Roy Sho**

**There hasn't been a part of the story from his perspective yet, but there will be. I'm assuming most of you may have figured this out already, but otherwise here you go. **

**-He wears a white button-up shirt with a black interior. The collar folds out, so its black. He wears a formal black vest over top of his shirt, and grey formal pants on his legs. **

**-His hair is grey and short on the sides and back. The top 'swooshes' to the side and points upwards slightly. A small ponytail sticks out the back of his head. **

**-His eyes are white, like Gazini's all-seeing eye. His skin is pale.**

**-His weapon, ShoGun, is a long silver jagged blade with a diamond-shaped tip. The guard is a long red rectangle rounded corners at the top of the handle. The handle is thick and long, with a red sphere at the bottom (similar to Gazini's Arkynshihn). The blade can move up and down, like a chainsaw, making the jagged edges very dangerous. The guard retracts and extends out to cover the blade and the handle bends downwards when it goes into gun mode. It fires blue lasers, and is the only laser gun of mine. Its also my favorite of these eight character's weapons. **

**-His semblance is not yet revealed, so I won't say anything on that. **

**Viridianai 'Ember' Bronze**

**-She wears a dark brown undershirt and dark orange light jacket over top. She wears dog tags around her neck with currently unknown text written onto them. She wears dark brown pants and metal orange boots underneath. Some believe that they could be robotic limbs though. **

**-Her hair is dark orange, and her bangs are curtained. Her hair is long, and curves upwards at the bottom.  
**

**-Her eyes are narrow and purple. Her skin is dark tan, and she has six green tattoos on her cheeks. They are small, and stretch up from her neck, only barely appearing on her face. They are shaped like long scars. **

**-Her weapon is currently unknown, but it is likely something to do with her orange robotic hands. **

**-Her semblance is not yet revealed, but it will be in due time. **

* * *

**So there you have it. All eight characters. Honestly this was really tiring, and took about two hours, so don't expect these to come often. I might do one per story arc, (three more after this, at most). **

**I won't be editing this, just because now I'm really tired, so I apologize for grammatical errors. Try your best to understand them though. **

**If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to shoot me a PM or review, I love hearing from you guys. **


	43. Green II Chapter 6

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**I almost forgot to upload another chapter today, I thought it was Friday. My sister reminded me though, so thank you for that. **

**(IMPORTANT) Also, I noticed that the views for last week's chapter were lower than those of the character profiles which I posted a few hours later. I think some of you may have missed it, but I can assure you that I did not qualify last week's character profiles as a chapter. So if you haven't already, refer back to last week's chapter (if you missed it) or this chapter will be very confusing. Otherwise, enjoy the chapter!**

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Rocco charged, left fist raised. Barbed Gustav came out and I fired a few shots. His aura deflected all of them, and before I knew it he was on me. He certainly was fast for someone of his size. I ducked, avoiding his fist as it flew overhead. His knee came up out of nowhere, slamming into my chin and knocking me on my back.

"Urgh!" I grunted as I hit my back against the hard ground.

"Show me" Rocco said again. I looked up at him, standing above me. He stared hard into my eyes, making me shiver.

Slowly I pushed myself back up to my feet. I coughed, and blood dripped out of my mouth. _Must have bit my tongue_, I thought.

Rocco kicked me back down, "Show me" He said again.

I stared up at him, "Then let me" I replied, starting to push myself back up to my feet. I saw him raise his fist and rolled over, standing as I did so.

Rocco smiled, raising his metal fist and charging again.

This time I needed to be ready. I knew that I could use this as an attack opportunity…somehow. It was just a matter of how.

Transforming Barbed Gustav into a staff and extending the pitchfork end I readied myself for his incoming attack. As his fist descended I hooked it between the forks of my weapon, stopping it in its tracks. However, he swiped his right armadillo hand across my face before I could attack. I fell to the side, my face now bleeding.

"Show me" He said again.

"I get it!" I called, frustrated. I stood up easier, extending the curved blade from the other end of Barbed Gustav now. I just needed to fight him by the looks of it. No strategy, just speed and strength. _If only Nicole could help_, I thought, _but she can't see in the dark, and even if she could she left her weapon in the car when we were yanked out_.

Rocco turned to me, standing where I was. His fist came up again, but this time I charged, semblance activated and my eyes glowing. Surprise spread across his face as I raked Barbed Gustav across his gut, shedding blood around him.

He turned around, charging at me as I turned. I faced him, raising my staff and deflecting his fist. He punched again, another blow that I deflected. We fought for a while, switching between offensive and defensive, blocking some blows and taking others. Unfortunately, I was less experienced and even with my focus I was taking many more hits than he did, and soon I was on the ground, bloody and panting, my aura exhausted.

"Good fight," Rocco panted, obviously quite tired himself, "but not great"

I tried desperately to catch my breath, but I knew that he would likely kill me either way.

He raised his clawed armadillo hand, getting ready to stab me.

"Rocco!" Someone called, their voice following the sound of a loud _clank!_

He sighed, "I'm a little busy here" He said.

"We have a situation" The man said.

"What could be so important?" Rocco asked, turning around.

Just then Nicole appeared beside me, "Are you alright Grizzly?" She asked.

"How'd you find me?" I whispered.

"I followed your voice." She replied, "Come on, we need to get out of here"

"How?" I asked, "I can't even move"

She paused, "Where's Rocco?" She asked.

I turned, seeing him just a few feet away from me. He'd moved towards the man who'd burst in.

"There." I said, guiding Nicole until she was facing his direction, "Just about four feet away"

"Thanks" She said, starting towards him slowly.

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

"Something drastic" She whispered, walking until she was right behind him.

"Stop!" I said in a loud whisper.

Nicole stopped, then raised her fist. I held my breath.

"Rocco!" The man called, pointing behind him. Just then Nicole brought down her fist, hitting him hard on the back of the head and knocking him to the ground.

The man gasped, then turned towards the door, running through it and slamming it behind him.

"Let's get out of here" Nicole said, turning around.

"Shouldn't we investigate?" I asked.

"No," she replied, "you're too weak. We'll call someone as soon as we get home"

I nodded, standing up and limping towards the exit. "Come on" I said, glancing behind me and seeing that she wasn't moving. When I spoke she followed my voice.

I found where we'd first entered and put a few bullets into the trapdoor. A few rays of faint light fell through, allowing Nicole to see better.

"Let me get that" She said, stepping forward and reaching up. She was too short, so she jumped and knocked it open. "Get up on my shoulders" She said, crouching down.

I climbed up onto her shoulders and she stood up, allowing me to crawl up into the room. I looked down and lowered my hand.

"I got it" Nicole said, taking a few steps back, then charging forward, jumping, grabbing hold of the holes in the trapdoor, and hoisting herself up into the room. "Let's go" she said, picking me up and rushing outside.

The car that Heishi had driven us here in was gone, so Nicole started running down the sidewalk.

"Focus on healing yourself" She told me as we ran.

"I'm working on it" I replied. Every time a little bit of aura returned to me I used it up, putting it towards the bloody wounds covering my body.

We ran for at least an hour before rain came pouring down, beating against us. Our clothes were soaked in seconds, causing them to stick to our bodies.

"Hey girly" A beefy man said, emerging from an alleyway. Without stopping Nicole leapt into the air, jump-kicking the man in the face and running past him.

"We don't have time for your crap" Nicole muttered.

"It's going to be more dangerous at night" I said.

"The day is almost here" She pointed out.

Another hour passed and the sun began to rise, shedding light on the streets and soon setting the world abuzz.

"Miss?" Someone called. Nicole stopped and turned. A woman stood in her doorway. "Is he okay?" She asked.

"No" She replied.

"Bring him inside" The woman said.

"I'd rather not get you involved" Nicole said.

"I don't care." The woman said, "Bring him in or you'll both catch cold"

"Go" I whispered.

Nicole took me into the woman's house, and I was laid down on a table. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but then again, right now nothing was particularly comfortable.

"How bad is it?" The woman asked.

"I don't know" Nicole replied.

The woman unzipped my footie pajamas to see. She gasped.

"This'll take a fair amount of energy" She said, pressing her fingers against my gut. I felt a shock move through my entire body. I shook, my whole body in pain.

"What are you doing?!" Nicole demanded.

"Saving his life" She replied, pressing her fingers deeper into my skin.

"You're hurting him!" Nicole said.

"No pain, no gain" The woman replied calmly.

Nicole sighed, watching me.

"If you can't watch, I understand." The woman said, "Otherwise take a seat. You can sit down anywhere"

"But I'm soaking wet" She said.

"Then stick to the floor" She decided.

Nicole looked at me one last time, shaking vigorously on the table, before she turned away and left.

The woman continued to press her fingers deeper into my body, and the pain only increased. I screamed in agony until finally I felt her fingers leave my skin. I shook for a little while longer, then settled down.

"There." She said, sounding out of breath. "Everything's healed. Now you just need rest. I'll get you some dry clothes so that you don't ruin the couches"

She stood and left. I didn't move, and even if I wanted to couldn't. My body was so weak and tired.

Nicole returned, looking over my body. Her face was covered by surprise. She pressed her hands where I assumed that the scars had once been. The woman returned with a stack of new clothes.

"Here" She said, handing Nicole some clothing.

"No, I'm fine." She said, "Thank you though"

"Take them." The woman said, "Whether you like it or not your clothes need to dry, and you'll be here for a little while longer"

She reluctantly took the clothes.

"Get me a wet cloth from the kitchen" The woman added.

Nicole returned shortly afterwards, and the woman cleaned the drying blood off my body.

"Go get changed" She told Nicole, who was still standing there.

She left, and the woman began to undress me. "You took quite the beating." She said, "I'll wash your clothes for you"

Once my pajamas were off she set them down on the ground before leaving and returning with a towel. As she rubbed me down with it Nicole returned, wearing worn out jeans and a brown T-shirt that looked too big for her. Her hair was tied back into an untidy bun and her scars were showing.

The woman turned around, "Good." She said, looking her over, before turning back to me, "He's going to be fine, don't worry"

"Thank you" Nicole said quietly, looking at me lying on the table in nothing but my soaked underpants.

"Don't mention it." The woman replied, "I'm happy to help" She stood up and held out her hand to Nicole, "Lagoon Demolles" She said.

Nicole shook her hand slowly, "Nicole Rozovyy"

Lagoon eyed her suspiciously, "Uh-huh." She said, "Finish up with him, _Nicole_" She emphasized her name, then left.

Nicole picked the towel up and finished drying me off.

"She seemed suspicious" I said.

"How do you mean?" Nicole asked.

"Of you" I replied.

She looked over at the stack of clothing next to me, "And rightly so" She replied.

"How do _you _mean?" I asked.

"We've all got secrets." She replied, sorting through the clothing, "She even got you some dry underwear"

"Great" I said.

Nicole took the underwear and replaced my wet pair with it. Afterwards she put the dry clothes on me.

"I haven't changed someone in years" She said.

"I thought you never had any children" I said.

Nicole paused, then said "I haven't exactly been honest with you Grizzly."

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**So there you have it. I felt like this chapter was a bit longer than the others, but apparently it wasn't. Same general amount of words and everything. **

**After this we'll be switching to Nicole's perspective. Not much will change, I know, but I want to get as many colors in this beginning segment before the story gets more intense. **

**Anyways, not a whole lot to say. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter. **


	44. Pink II Chapter 1

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**I noticed that once again many of you still missed Green II Chapter 5. If you did you need to read it to understand this chapter. However, if you have read it or don't want to, then let's get a move on. **

**I just finished a week taking care of kids at camp so I'm super tired right now. I apologize if the editing isn't as good as usual. **

**In other news, let's get on with the chapter!**

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I was sitting on the couch next to Grizzly, who had fallen asleep just a few minutes ago. I sighed, realizing that I was going to have to explain everything to him now.

Lagoon returned in her pajamas and slippers. I only noticed now her deep blue long feathered hair. She had thin and stern purple eyes, and her skin was white and faintly wrinkled. She was somewhat larger than most people. Her pajamas were a black T-shirt and white pants that were too long for her legs.

"How's he doing?" She asked, going to the kitchen.

"Fine." I replied, "He's asleep now"

"Good"

"Lagoon?"

"Mm?"

"Thank you"

She waved her hand, "Don't worry." She replied, "It wasn't a problem"

"He'd have died without you" I pointed out.

"All the more reason to do something about it." She said, "What kind of tea do you like?"

"I'm fine, but thank you" I replied.

"Nicole," Lagoon said, looking over at me with her stern, motherly eyes, "you were just running through the freezing cold rain not even an hour ago. You need to warm up"

"What do you have available?" I asked, deciding not to argue.

"Peppermint," She started, "coconut, green, lemon, syrup, apple cider, coffee, grape and pineapple"

"Some apple cider would be nice" I said.

"Alright" She said, heading to the kitchen and getting everything ready.

"How'd you do that, by the way?" I asked.

"Do what?" She asked.

"Heal him" I replied.

"It's my semblance." She replied, "Didn't take me for a huntress, did you?"

I shook my head.

She snickered, "Yeah, I don't hunt often, so I'm a bit out of shape"

"I see." I said, "What academy did you attend?"

"Continent" She replied.

"So you've been here in Atlas for a while then?" I asked.

"I came here for school." She replied, "Then decided to stay after I graduated. You?"

"Haven." I replied, "How'd you know I was a huntress?"

"You ran down the street with a bleeding child." She replied, "Honestly, I didn't think you'd have rescued him off the side of the street. Something clearly had happened"

"Oh" I replied.

"Don't take that the wrong way." She said, "I don't take you for a bad person, this just isn't exactly the most sketchy of neighborhoods, so I just assumed that there had been actual trouble, not just some guy jumping you in the street"

"No, I get it" I said.

Lagoon came and sat down, two steaming cups in hand. She handed one to me.

"Thanks" I said, taking a sip.

She sat down, setting her tea cup down on the table.

"So," she started, "you going to tell me about those scars?"

I stared at her for a while, "I'd prefer not to" I replied.

"Hmm" She said.

"It's not that I don't appreciate everything you've done," I started, "It's just that I've never told anyone about it and I'd rather tell it to someone whom I know I can trust"

"I get it" She said.

"Thanks" I said.

"So you have some emotional problems or something?" She pressed.

"Um," I started, "sorry, I thought we weren't going to talk about that"

"No, I understood." She said, "But remember, you asked me four questions. I asked one. That gives me three questions and answers from you"

"Yeah, but these answers are bit more personal" I said.

"The questions you asked were personal." Lagoon pointed out, "What tea do I have? Not business-related. Where did I learn to hunt? Not business-related. The level of personal-ness doesn't make a difference"

I didn't reply.

"Fine." Lagoon finally said, "You have any kids?"

"No" I replied.

"Then why would you need to change someone?" She asked.

"What?" I asked.

"Don't play dumb." She said, "I heard you say that to Grizzly"

I was shocked. No one had figured this kind of stuff out about me before, other than the people of Barcombe.

"Nicole." Lagoon started, "My body may be out of shape but my brain isn't. I know something is up with you and I will figure it out. So are you going to come out nicely, or should I get aggressive?"

I just stared at her, completely confused. I'd only just met this woman, and already she knew more than most people did about me, and now she was threatening me if I didn't tell her more. _Get aggressive?_ I thought, _what does that mean?_

"You owe me Nicole," Lagoon said, "I saved your son"

"He's not my son" I pointed out.

"Then what is he?"

"My friend"

"A friend?" She asked, "It's quite rare to find someone of your age friends with someone of his age. Is there something going on that should be reported to the police?"

"No!" I exclaimed, "No, of course not! We're just friends! It's not unusual to have friends who are a bit older than you!"

"A bit?" Lagoon asked, snickering, "You're more than a little older than him, dear"

Once again I found myself out of words.

"You owe me the satisfied curiosity." She said again, "Or should I call the police?"

"There's no evidence" I pointed out.

"Then I'll make some"

I gasped, wondering what she meant. I couldn't comprehend what was going on in this woman's mind.

"Tell me everything" She said.

"I really should be going" I said, picking up Grizzly and heading towards the door. Our wet clothing was drying on a heating vent next to it. By now they were only damp.

I took the clothes, then reached for the doorknob. It was locked.

"Even if you could get out." Lagoon started, still in the living room, "I could charge you with theft of my clothing. Now that's something to call the police about"

I sighed, setting the clothing back on the vent and returning to the living room. I didn't have a choice, it seemed.

"How did you lock the door from the inside?" I asked.

"I have a special doorknob." She replied, "That's five personal questions. You owe me a lot of answers, plus my saving your friend gives me the right to ask anything and get the answer"

I sighed, setting Grizzly down on the couch and sitting down. He woke up shortly after.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Go back to sleep" I said.

"Let him listen." Lagoon said, "After you're last statement to him you're going to have to explain it eventually"

I sighed, "Fine." I decided, "What's your first question?"

"Where did you get those scars?" She asked.

"Hunting" I replied.

"I'm not stupid." She said instantly, "Tell the truth"

"I was a troubled kid." I said, "So I went to the knife for relief"

_One question down, three to go._ I thought. I'd be out as soon as I was done.

"What kind of troubles?" She asked.

I paused, mustering to courage to remember.

"Parental problems" I replied.

"Specifically?" She asked.

_Two questions on the same topic, only one left_, I thought.

"They were fighting a lot." I replied, "And it scared me"

"What did they fight about?" Lagoon asked.

"My mother was cheating on my father" I replied.

"What happened in the end?" She asked.

"You've exhausted your four personal questions." I replied, "According to you, you have no right to press me any further"

"You asked five questions." Lagoon said, "I have one more"

"You asked me what academy I attended." I reminded her, "You're out of questions"

"Give me answers." She demanded, "I saved your friend"

"And I repaid you by satisfying your curiosity." I said, standing and tapping Grizzly's shoulder to tell him to stand up. "Now we're heading out"

"The door's locked, remember?"

"I'm a huntress." I said, "Do you really think that I wouldn't be able to open a simple, locked door?"

"So you're going to steal my clothing?" She asked.

"We'll change." I said, "I don't mind being in my underwear for a few seconds"

Lagoon stared at us angrily as we left.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Grizzly asked me.

"She was pressing me for information that I wasn't comfortable giving out." I replied, "It's more than fine"

I handed him his footie pajamas, "You okay to change on your own?" I asked.

He nodded, pulling off his shirt.

I grabbed the bottom of my shirt and started to pull. Grizzly turned around and so that he wouldn't see, and so did I.

"No!" Lagoon called, charging towards the front entrance. "Give me answers!"

I stopping pulling and raised my fists. She stopped. "Don't make me do this" I said.

"I can defend myself" She said, raising her own fists.

We stared at each other for a moment, then she swung her fist. I caught it easily in midair, then gave her a solid punch in the face. She fell to the ground, knocked out. I resumed getting changed after making sure that she was out.

Leaving her lent clothing on the ground, we went to the door, which was still locked.

"Stand back" I said, taking a few steps back before kicking the door and sending it flying open.

It was still raining and the light was very limited outside.

"Come on." I said to Grizzly, "Let's go home; I'll finish explaining everything there."

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**So there you have it. Lagoon, another crazy character made up on the spot by me. I'm trying to figure out how I can work her into the story in the future, but I haven't figured out when yet, so keep a lookout for her. **

**We're starting to go deeper into Nicole's past now, which at the moment may be confusing to some of you, considering the lack of explanation she was willing to give to Lagoon. It will be fully explained (eventually) though, so don't worry. **

**I really haven't had a heck of a lot to say in these past few chapters, so I think I'll wrap it up here. I'm off to write my short story, which will be posted in a few weeks, so look forward to that as well. **

**Anyways, as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	45. Pink II Chapter 2

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Only one week left of camp, then we'll be back to one chapter every Monday. I'm really not looking forward to the end, but it had to happen at some point. **

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By the time we arrived at home Grizzly was exhausted. _Looks like he didn't get enough sleep earlier_, I thought as we entered the house.

"I need to sleep." He said, dragging his feet up the stairs, "You can explain everything later. I'll give you some time to go over your thoughts and stuff"

"Alright," I said, "sleep well"

Outside it was early in the morning. Luckily, I was a self-employed huntress, so I could work whenever I wanted to. Plus I'd already fought in the second round of the tournament, so I didn't need to be anywhere for the rest of the day.

I went to the kitchen and prepared the small breakfast of a single omelet filled with melted cheese and a glass of apple juice. My stomach growled as I prepared the meal, and when I finished it had quieted down.

Staying where I was, seated at the kitchen table, I wondered what I would do for the rest of the day. _I guess that I could go hunting. _I thought, _Earn a bit of Lien. _

Standing, I went upstairs and searched my closet, finding only my bladed dust vial revolver, Tina. I'd left my suitcases in Heishi's car when he'd pulled us out, and now his car was gone. _I wonder if I'll ever see them again,_ I wondered, hoping that I would. For now I had to make do with Tina, which wasn't exactly bad. For big missions it'd be harder to use though.

Taking it and throwing it on my bed, I went to get dressed, as I was still in my damp pajamas. I reached for my usual dress, then decided to wear something different. It was still early, so the morning winds would be cool, and my pink dress showed more skin than I would like for the cold.

I pulled on a pair of dark blue jeans, a white T-shirt, and a thick hot pink jacket with pale pink fur lining the hood. The coat was long and went down to my ankles (like a dress, only it was a jacket and less formal). It was meant for someone taller and was only meant to go past my knees.

Going to the bathroom I untied my pink hair bun and reapplied my make-up. I was going to take a shower, but I was already dressed and wasn't in the mood. Once I finished I tucked my medium-length hair into the back of my jacket and pulled up hood. Taking one last look at myself in the mirror, I headed out, clipping Tina to my waist before opening my front door.

I locked the door behind me, then headed out. It was likely that the Atlas Outskirts Defense (AOD) could use some extra help. Often when I couldn't find work here in Atlas, as I usually lived in Vale, I would join the hunters there and help out for a few hours. They paid me fairly there as well, which was a bonus.

Some early risers walked by me, casting Tina curious glances. Someone walking around with a sword or gun on their back or waist was pretty normal, most people were just curious as to what it looked like or what type of weapon it was.

Once I reached the wall lining the city of Atlas I walked through the front gates, nodding to the guards at the door. Inside the wall were the living quarters for several of the AOD members.

"Morning Bole" I said, walking in.

The man, Bole, cocked his head from where he was lying down on his bed.

"Morning" He said, smiling.

"You got anything going on today?" I asked.

He shrugged, "I think so." He replied, "We almost always head out. You joining us?"

"I think so." I replied. "How long will it be?"

Bole paused, "Probably just half the day." He replied, "The usual"

"I'll join for the morning one" I decided.

"What about later?" He asked, "The tournament?"

"Nah," I replied, "Already fought. I have to meet someone"

Bole rolled up from a lying position to a sitting one to look at me, "Like a date?" He asked.

I shook my head, "No," I replied, "He's a friend who's staying with me for the tournament"

"He's living with you?" He asked, "Who is this guy? A boyfriend?"

"No," I replied, laughing a little, "He's only fifteen years old. Like I said, he's only staying for the tournament"

"That seems a little inappropriate" Bole said.

"Oh shut it." I said, "There's nothing wrong with it"

"I know there isn't." He said, "But to other people who don't know you it may sound inappropriate"

"Other people's opinions don't matter unless they're important to you" I pointed out.

Bole juggled his head back and forth, "Even then maybe not." He said, "Some people you just know not to care about their opinions because of how different they are than yours"

"Right." I replied. "People like you"

"You don't agree with me?" He asked.

"Not always." I replied, "That was a joke, Bole"

"Oh" He replied, smiling a little.

"Hey!" Someone said. I looked past Bole, seeing Umber walking towards us, "You're here Nicole"

"I am," I replied, "did you just wake up?" Umber switched from sleep to wakefulness almost seamlessly. I'd never seen her drowsy before. Nor had I ever seen her with bedhead.

"I did" She replied, running a hand through her shoulder-length brown hair. Both she and Bole had brown hair.

"So do you have any details on the expedition?" Umber asked us.

"Assuming it's just two half-days again" Bole replied.

"Alright." Umber replied, starting to walk away, "I'm going to go figure it out"

"Bye" Bole said.

"I'm not going to be gone long," She said, "You don't need to say 'bye' every time I walk out the door"

Bole waved, "Bye" He said again.

Umber snickered, then left.

"Can you call me when you figure everything out?" I asked, starting to turn.

"Sure." He replied, "No problem"

"Thanks" I said, turning and leaving. As I walked out I pulled out my scroll and called Grizzly. I didn't expect to actually talk to him, and when it went to voicemail I wasn't surprised. He was out like a light.

"Hey Grizzly?" I started, leaving a message, "So I'm going to be out for a few hours. I'll be back around lunchtime. Bye for now" then I hung up.

Looking around, I saw that the city was still very inactive, as it was still very early in the morning. I sat down on a nearby bench and watched the people occasionally walk by.

Shortly after I sat down I felt my scroll ringing. Pulling it out I found a call from Bole.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Just one half-day's expedition today." He said, "Because of the tournament we all get the second half of the day off, if we make it of course"

"Alright," I said, "I'm just outside. I'll be in in a second"

Hanging up and standing, I headed back into the gate and saw the four hunters who lived in the gate getting ready.

"You know the drill" Elwood, the commander, told me.

"Right" I replied, heading to the armory and finding the required chainmail vest and leather gauntlets and slipping them on over my jacket.

"You sure you want the jacket?" Elwood asked me.

"Oh," I said, "don't want to get it ripped or dirty" I said, pulling off the armor and jacket, then replacing the armor. I was now only wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt.

"You really aren't dressed for the weather today, Miss Rozovyy." Elwood commented, "If you want to go home and change, you've got time"

"Thanks," I said, "but I think I'm fine"

"That shirt's stain ain't gonna be pretty" He pointed out.

"The Grimm don't bleed," I reminded him, "they evaporate. I'll be fine"

Elwood shrugged, "What about the blood of the hunters?" He asked.

"When was your last casualty?" I asked.

He paused to think. "Got me there" He replied. Most of the time people didn't die in the AOD. We were all experienced veterans, having hunted for at least a decade.

I found my way to the conference room, where people were already gathering. I sat down next to Bole, who had his steel bow staff leaned against the table next to him. It was a perfectly smooth silver pole, with only a few dents on the ends from combat. I found myself wondering on several occasions how it didn't slip from his hands while he fought.

Once all seven members, not including Elwood or me, had arrived he walked in and started to explain where we were going.

"We're heading up north." He said, "The Grimm have been accumulating more up there. We'll stick with the regular formation. Nicole, you'll join Bole and Umber as usual today. This isn't going to be anything crazy, just a few too many Grimm a few too many miles close to our city. Any questions? No? Good, let's get a move on then."

* * *

**So there you have it. A simple chapter, a few new faces, the usual. **

**As usual, not much to say, plus I'm a little tired. I'm posting a short story on Fictionpress soon after this, so check that out. Its labelled 'Smooth Jazz' by SquigglyCrunch. **

**Anyways, as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to and I'll see you all in the next chapter. **


	46. Pink II Chapter 3

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**I'm uploading this chapter pretty late, sorry about that. Camp just ended and I haven't exactly been in the mood for responsibility. But I'm leaving for the next six days (ugh!) so I thought I'd better upload something. **

**So yeah, back to the olden days. One chapter every Monday instead of Saturday. **

**Anyways, that's about it. Now, let's get on with the chapter!**

* * *

We were all loaded into four airships, one for each set of partners. I boarded one with Bole and Umber and reached up to hold a handlebar hanging from the top so that I wouldn't fall out.

"What about Sherry and Candace?" Bole asked me, noticing only Tina.

"I lost them" I replied.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I left them in someone's car and they drove off" I replied.

"Why?" He asked.

"Long story" I replied.

"Have you reported it yet?"

"Not yet"

"Are you going to?"

"I plan on it"

"Don't hassle the girl, Bole." Umber said, stepping on, "You know her, she's smart"

"Just making sure" He replied.

The airships lifted off and we started flying towards the far outskirts of Atlas.

"We're passing over the forest of Ever Fall." The pilot said, "Be on the look-out"

We leaned out of the ship, keeping our hands on the handles, and looked.

"We got movement" I heard the radio say.

"Send Burnt and Pigment in there." Elwood decided. "Stay on standby pilot"

"Roger that"

We continued forward, over the thick blue forest of Ever Fall. As we progressed the trees grew thicker and taller, until it was almost impossible to see anything beyond the leaves and branches.

"I think I see something" Bole said, leaning forward.

"Bole, look out!" Umber called, pulling him back. He looked over, seeing a Nevermore fly right by us and taking a swipe at Bole.

"Thanks" He said, dusting off his armor.

"We got movement in the air" The pilot explained into the radio.

"I see something in the forest!" Bole exclaimed, leaning forward again, almost without hesitation.

"Umber, Bole, and Nicole, head down there. Take out the Nevermore. Stay on standby pilot" Elwood said over the radio.

"Roger that." The pilot said, stopping the ship, "Whenever you're ready" He said to us.

"I'll deal with the Nevermore" I said, looking around for it.

"Right." Umber said, "Ready Bole?" She turned, seeing no one. Bole had already leapt. Umber quickly followed after, rolling her eyes.

I leaned forward, looking around for the Nevermore. Turning my head, I saw it approaching again.

Backing up, I waited for it to fly by. As it did I ran and leapt out, grabbing onto its feathers. It flew through the air, cawing and shaking. I held on tight, waiting for it to calm down before I moved forward.

Eventually it leveled out and I pulled myself along its feathers until I reached its head. Drawing Tina and stabbing the blade under his skull mask, I fired off several rounds, blowing a large hole in its neck. It cawed in agony before descending to the ground, its body limp.

Once it landed safely I leapt off and ran through the trees in search of my comrades. It wasn't hard to find them, as the slashing and screeching echoed throughout the forest.

Finding them, I saw several Arachnoirs (spider Grimm) fighting against a lone Umber. Bole clashed with four other Goliaths.

"Nicole! Bole's taking care of them!" Umber called out to me, "I need help!"

I turned and charged into the fray, slicing an Arachnoir's leg off and blasting it in the face. Its skull broke, but it struggled up to face me. I loaded another bullet into its head before it fell limp.

I turned, seeing Umber stab an Arachnoir in the eye with her rapier. The sword had one guard over the handle, which had a nozzle at the end. A tube stuck out from the bottom of the handle and connected to the steel, cylinder-shaped container on her back. The pack was full of red dust, which could be fired out from the nozzle on the guard in the form of fire when the blade bent backwards.

She tore her rapier from the Grimm's eye, which triggered a blood-curdling scream from the Arachnoir. She finished it off with a stab into it's now exposed belly after it stood up on its hind legs.

I spun around, stabbing an Arachnoir through the mouth and blasting out its jaw. I leapt onto its back and stabbed it. It stopped moving below me, and I fired off a few more rounds into incoming Arachnoirs.

Bole flashed into the corner of my eye. I glanced up, seeing him clashing with a Goliath. His silver bow staff was up as he fended off a Goliath's tusks. His feet skidded against the ground as he resisted, but the Goliath was clearly physically stronger. He stepped aside, pulling his weapon away and causing the Goliath to take several steps forward.

He stuck his staff into the ground and vaulted into the air. As he did so he fired a blast of dust from the bottom end of his staff that shot him into the air. He landed on the Goliaths back and stuck his staff into the black elephant's dark skin. It roared with pain and stood up on its hind legs. Bole hung on to his staff and stayed on until it dropped down onto all fours again.

Drawing his staff from its back, he charged towards its head and squeezed his staff, firing off a few rounds into the back of its neck. It roared and shook its body. Bole fell off, but immediately shot himself back into the air and soared towards the Goliath's head. He fired a sideways bullet that sent him spinning. As he neared the Goliath he began to fire off rounds constantly, almost drilling through the Goliath's head by the time he reached the other side. It was littered with small red caves where it began to evaporate.

Bole landed on the ground, skidding a little before stopping and turning to the next Goliath. There were only two left.

I turned back to the Arachnoirs, where by now they were all around me. I spun Tina's cylinder, then fired off several rounds of random dust. Umber charged in, rapier bent backwards and flames blazing over the giant spiders. They screamed as they burned and some averted their attention to her.

I leapt off the dead Arachnoir where I stood and joined Umber in the fight, slashing through several Arachnoirs as she burned them.

The ground shook as Bole took down another Goliath. Only one left. The Arachnoirs were thinning out, and it seemed that our mission was almost completed.

The last Goliath fell, and Umber drew her blade from the last Arachnoir before turning to me, panting. Bole approached us, breathing heavily.

"Lookin' good" Umber remarked.

"Thanks" He replied.

"Assuming that you didn't see us?" Umber asked.

"Nah," Bole replied, "Too focused on the giant demon elephants, you know?"

I laughed out whatever breath I could spare.

"You did good" I said.

"Thanks" He replied.

Umber looked up, "Well," she started, "I guess we call the pilot up again"

Bole reached up to his ear and pressed his fingers against it. "Threat neutralized. Come pick us up" He said.

He paused to listen, then looked over at us. "Alright." He said, "He'll be here shortly"

Umber and I looked up. Sure enough, the airship pushed its way through the thick branches, snapping several of them before landing before us. We pushed our way through the wind blowing around us, signaling the presence of the airship, and boarded it. Grabbing hold of the handlebars we lifted into the air.

Back above the trees, I saw that there was one other airship behind us. The other two were likely farther ahead.

"Are there anymore?" I asked.

"We should probably keep looking" Bole said, then turned to the pilot, "Any word from Elwood?"

"Zilch." He replied, "Nothing"

"Keep moving forward." He called, "Maybe we'll find some more"

The airship tilted forward and started moving. As we passed over the trees we saw nothing else, other than airships floating over the trees as they waited for their hunters to signal for return.

"Load 'em and get moving." Elwood said over the radio, "We're headin' home"

The airship turned around and headed back towards Atlas.

* * *

**So there you have it. Not a heck of a lot happened, but new Grimm. Hopefully that'll come up in the actual series. **

**More development with Bole and Umber, whom I plan on making major characters (both were made up on the spot, by the way). Partly because I love Bole's weapon, more revealed on that in much later chapters that not even I've written yet. **

**I finally got around to uploading my short story last week, so check that out if you want. I can't remember if I already told you guys about it, its been an interesting week so my memory is blurry. But if you haven't gotten around to it I could use the support. All feedback is positive feedback. Criticism is welcome. **

**Also, camp ended, which sucks. Home isn't nearly as fun. I get to watch movies and have internet, both of which I could live without. Not that I don't like sharing my stories with you guys of course. But camp was still so great. If you ever have the chance to be a staff member at a summer camp, take it. You won't regret it. **

**And that's about it. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	47. Pink II Chapter 4

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Firstly, sorry about the late chapter. I got home from my sailing trip a little after eleven last night and wasn't really thinking about HellFall. Turns out though, I'm not even tired. I ended up staying up until three in the morning watching Gravity Falls and now uploading this chapter, after which I will attempt sleep again. **

**Sailing was fun though, after six days you get used to the motion sickness and then the limitation of space is what sucks more. Either way, I had a lovely time. **

**This chapter's pretty short, but it's informative, so let's get on with it!**

* * *

We landed back in the outskirts of Atlas, just outside the wall. A gate opened and we headed inside, changing out of our armor and getting something to eat.

"Can we expect your help again anytime soon?" Bole asked me as we ate.

"The tournaments' still going," I replied, "so yes. I'll be here a while"

"Can you come for the next expedition today?" He asked.

"No," I replied, checking my scroll. It was already midday, "I have my friend to get back to, remember?"

"Right" He replied, going back to his food.

After the meal I stood to leave, but was stopped at the door by Elwood. "I've inserted the Lien into your account." He said, "Thanks for the help again Nicole"

"Anytime" I replied.

"Why don't you join us?" He asked, "You get paid more"

"I know." I replied, "But remember that I don't live here"

"You live in both Atlas and Vale." He replied, "You could settle in either place if you wanted to"

"I know, Elwood." I replied, "But I'm fine" I turned and started to leave. "If I change my mind I'll tell you though" I called over my shoulder.

* * *

I arrived home shortly afterwards to find Grizzly in the kitchen, making lunch.

"Hello" I said.

He turned, "'Morning" He replied before turning back to the kitchen stove. It wasn't morning, but to him it certainly felt that way.

"Whatchya making?" I asked.

"Sausages." He replied, "Big ones. Hope you don't mind"

"It's fine." I replied "Smells good. Did you get my message?"

"Yep." He replied, "About an hour ago"

"Sleep a while?"

"Oh yes"

There was a pause.

"I wonder what was up with last night" I said, breaking the silence.

"Which one?" Grizzly asked, "Rocco or Lagoon?"

"Rocco." I replied, "Although I do wonder if there was something wrong with Lagoon"

"Yeah." He replied, "I don't know what was up with Rocco. He was all deformed and weird"

"But what was he trying to accomplish by kidnapping us?" I asked.

"Beats me." He replied, "We should probably report it to the police. You lost Sherry and Candace too, which isn't good"

"Right" I replied.

"But for now," Grizzly started, turning off the stove and lifting the pan up, "you've got some explaining to do" He set the pan down on a potholder on the table, then turned and grabbed a couple plates, forks, and knives.

"Right" I replied, remembering that now I'd have to tell him everything. Or at least almost everything.

I went and retrieved two glasses of water and set them down next to the plates. Grizzly and I sat down and each took a sausage.

"So where do you want me to start?" I asked, starting to cut into my sausage.

"The beginning preferably" he replied, severing his sausage on his fork and lifting it to his mouth.

I took a bite of sausage, nodding in agreement. "This is good." I said before going and cutting off another piece.

"Well," I started, "you remember that man you killed last night?" I asked.

Grizzly nodded, "I removed the body while you were away" He said.

"Thanks." I replied, "Bodies are such a hassle"

He frowned, clearly unimpressed with my idea of humor.

"In relation to that, I killed at a much earlier age. When I was younger my mother was cheating on my father, and that made him very mad. When my father was mad, he was violent. He abused my mother. One night, I witnessed one of these times." I felt myself tearing up, but I kept going, "My father had a gun, but he lost it. As it often went, my mother did resist. The gun was in front of me, so I picked it up. For almost my whole life I'd been taught by my father that cheating was evil, and that made my mother evil. So I felt almost nothing at shooting my mom in the head."

I wiped my eyes, "My father even encouraged me to shoot her afterwards, and I did. As the years progressed and I got older, I realized how much I missed my mother, but I kept her murder a secret.

"When I was seventeen I got into some trouble and ended up pregnant. I had twins, but they were quickly taken from me and sent away, as I was unable to properly care for them. I'd already turned to the razor years before, but after this my cutting habit increased, thus the permanent scars across my wrists, waist, and face.

"A year later I ran away. After that everything changed. I changed my look, my name, everything, and went to attend Haven and learn to hunt. I thought it'd redeem the murder of my mother to hunt the true evil in the world"

I paused to cry for a second, then looked up, my make-up smudging, "So yeah," I said, "I became a huntress and here I am today"

Grizzly had stopped eating and had half his sausage lying on his plate. "I'm so sorry." He said, "I didn't realize-"

I shook my head, "You had the right to know." I said, "Besides, someone needed to know, and I needed to tell someone anyways"

"So," he started, "what is, or was, your name?"

I looked up, forcing a smile, "Thanks, but I'm still that same person." I said, "My name is Cleome Alonso-Garcia"

Grizzly didn't reply, he just nodded. "So is your hair dyed then?" He asked. "Sorry"

"For what?" I asked.

"All the petty questions"

"It's perfectly fine for you to be curious." I replied, "And no, it's not dyed"

We sat in silence for a while, then Grizzly picked his sausage back up and started eating again. "Thank you for speaking, Cleome. Or should I stick with Nicole?"

"Stick with Nicole." I replied, "I know it's not good for me, but I prefer to bury my old self for now. When I'm willing she'll come back though. And thank you for listening"

He smiled, munching on his sausage. "Glad to be of help." He replied, "I'm probably not the best person for this, but if you need to talk I'll be here"

I smiled, "Thanks" I said, watching him for a moment before turning back to my own sausage.

When I finished I went upstairs to my room to reapply my make-up. Once I had I went to my closet to get changed and shower. I pushed through my clothing, then stopped and sighed, remembering the years before Haven, wearing thick scarves around my head to hide the scars on my face as much as possible, then wearing wristbands during the hotter months to cover my wrist scars.

I fell backwards on my bed, staring up at the ceiling and sighing. I reached up and undid my ponytails, strewing my hair across my bed and closing my eyes.

* * *

**So there you have it. Nicole's dark past. I think her past, of all eight characters, was definitely the darkest. Although you haven't heard everyone's yet, so you don't have all the comparison ability that I do. Oh well, all in due time. **

**What'd you guys think of her backstory though? A bit more mature, maybe. Nothing a teen like yourselves can't handle (unless you ignored the rating and just went through with reading it).**

**Anyways, getting a little drowsy, looking forward to finally being home again after seven weeks of camp and six days on a cramped boat. Probably just watch movies and try to beat Dark Souls, but we'll see. **

**And as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter. **


	48. Pink II Chapter 5

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Almost forgot that today was Monday, good thing I didn't though. **

**Not a heck of a lot to say. The story picks up again in this chapter, so hopefully you'll enjoy that. **

* * *

The next morning I awoke in my bed, as usual, and sat up. Stretching my arms and yawning, I dragged myself off my bed and down the stairs, where I was welcomed by Grizzly making breakfast.

"Morning" I said.

"Good morning" He replied.

"You've been doing more cooking than usual" I said.

"You wake up too late" He replied.

"Or your just up early" I said.

He smiled, "Right" He replied.

"What are you making this time?"

"Omelets and bacon"

"Sounds good"

"I hope so"

I rubbed my eyes and leaned over his shoulder, peering at the omelet. "You need to flip it." I said. "The top is too liquidy. You'll burn the bottom"

"Still trying to get the hang of that" He said, pushing his spatula under the solidifying egg.

"Here" I said, taking the pan handle from him and lifting it above the stove. Flipping the pan a few times, I saw the omelet lift off the pan slightly. Then, in one movement, flipped the omelet off the pan. It spun in the air, then landed back in the pan, on the wet side.

"There." I said, placing it back on the stove, "It should be done soon. It's a little burnt on the top though"

"That was amazing." He said, "You need to teach me"

"One day" I replied, patting his head and smiling.

I walked over to my cupboard and opened the two double doors, revealing the mass of food inside. I looked around, then closed it and went to my fridge, which had double doors and was walk-in as well. I walked inside, looking around before pulling out a jug of apple juice and bringing it out.

"You okay with apple?" I asked.

"Yep" He replied.

I pulled out two large glasses and poured a fair amount of juice in each one before setting them on the table. Afterwards I grabbed some plates and set them next to Grizzly for when he was done, then placed some forks and knives on the table by the glasses.

"Have you started on the bacon?" I asked.

"Not yet." He replied, "But I'm almost done here, so I'll start pretty soon"

"I can take care of it" I said, starting towards the cupboards to grab a pan.

"No, it's fine." He replied, "I'd rather try it on my own"

"Alright." I said, "I'll be your overseer"

He lifted the pan and slid the omelet off onto one of the plates.

"Forgot one omelet" I said.

"Right." He replied, "You'd better get started on the bacon then"

I smiled and walked into the fridge, pulling out two eggs and a half-used package of bacon.

"Two eggs?" I asked.

"Perfect" He replied, taking the eggs and cracking them into the pan. I took the bacon and threw them on a pan.

Once breakfast was ready we sat down and started to eat.

"You seem off" I said. I'd noticed it earlier, but only acknowledged it now.

"The information from yesterday is still processing." He replied. "You know, like the time when President Monty Oum passed away. It was kind of hard to accept it right away. But I got used to it, don't worry"

I nodded, "Right." I replied. "Yeah, it's a little crazy, eh?"

"Just a bit" He replied.

We finished eating and I stood up, pulling out my scroll to check the status of the hunters' tournament. Round two was still going, so I didn't need to be anywhere for now.

I started towards the stairs, then saw Grizzly sprinting down fully dressed.

"Where're you going in such a hurry?" I asked.

"Training with my team for the tournament." He replied, "We had some teamwork troubles in the last couple matches so we're going to work on that"

"Alright." I replied, "I'll probably be going out as well, so keep that in mind"

"Okay." He said before heading out, "Bye!"

I waved as he closed the door. I stood for a moment, then turned and walked up the stairs to my bedroom. Falling down on my bed, I stared up at the ceiling, wondering what I would do for the day. _Probably just go out with the AOD again_, I thought. And yet I lay on my bed for a while longer. I glanced at the clock, and already an hour had passed. I sighed, running my hands over my face.

"I'm so lonely." I said aloud. "I should get married. But can I trust anyone after that?" I paused to think. The experience from years ago had affected me greatly, and I found it difficult to see myself willingly in a situation like that again. Still, I was getting older and lonelier. I grabbed my pillow and plopped it on my face. I groaned.

"What am I going to do?" I asked myself.

Just then there was a knock on the door.

My eyes shot open and I threw my pillow off my face and stood. Still in my pale pink shirt and white pants I ran downstairs and opened the door. Before me was a man I'd never seen before.

"Hello?" I asked. "I'm not interested in buying anything, thank you"

"Oh, I'm not selling." He said. His voice was familiar. "I'm here for something more. May I come in?" His voice was deep.

"Sure" I replied, somewhat uneasy, stepping aside and letting him in. He sounded familiar, so surely I knew him from somewhere.

"I understand that your son is visiting you from Vale" He said, looking around the house.

"No," I replied, "you're mistaken. And I don't mean to sound rude, but who are you?"

"Trask." He replied, "I'm Grizzly's uncle"

"Oh." I said, "I didn't expect a visit. I'm sorry" His voice sounded deathly familiar, and so did the name.

"Don't you worry," He said, turning to me, "I feel rude even just doing this"

I looked down, seeing his right hand in the form of an armadillo's, one that bent downwards awkwardly. On his left hand was a steel gauntlet.

"I don't mean to intrude." He continued, "I shouldn't be long"

Just then I realized who he was. Trask. Rocco Trask. Immediately I swung my fist, and he ducked.

"Is that how to greet all your guests?" He asked.

"I already greeted you at the door" I pointed out, crouching and readying for an attack.

"Very observant of you." He said, starting to walk around me. He swung a fist, catching my shoulder, "Not observant enough I'm afraid"

I stumbled, but recovered myself quickly and brought my fists back up. He swung his fist again, and this time I brought up my arm, colliding with his.

He drew his fist back, then immediately struck it out again. I'd just started to lower my fist, so my guard was down. However, I quickly brought up my other hand, catching his wrist and holding it right where it was before my face.

"How'd you find my house?" I asked.

"A certain body of water." He replied, "A lagoon, one might say"

"How?" I asked.

"She followed you a few nights ago apparently." He replied, "All I needed were some solid reasons why she should tell me where you were, and BOOM!" He yanked his fist back, pulling me with him. He brought up his knee, but I quickly twisted my feet, sending myself spinning towards the right and then towards the ground. I caught myself, then stood back up.

"You have beautiful reflexes" He said.

I paused, taking a few breaths before charging back towards him. I started to raise my fist, then brought up my leg. He opened his hand and caught my ankle. I leapt into the air, kicking out with my remaining leg and pushing him towards the wall. I fell to the ground back-first, but caught myself with my hands. Unfortunately it only lessened the pain. It still hurt when my back hit the ground.

I leapt back up to my feet, starting towards Rocco, who was standing up.

He wagged his finger at me, "Your good" He said, then swung his fist. I brought up my knee, hitting his wrist and knocking his fist upwards so that he punched the air above me. He stumbled forward into my fist, coughing and falling backwards.

While on the ground I grabbed his shirt and looked him in the eyes. He stared back. "Get out of my house, and don't bother me or Grizzly ever again"

He smiled, "You have beautiful eyes." He said, "I'd sure like to have one" He reached up towards my face. I smacked his hand away.

"You understand?" I asked.

"Perfectly." He replied, "But that doesn't mean that I'm done"

I was so confused that I didn't see his incoming foot. He kicked me into the instrument room. As I stood he walked through the doorway, looking down at me.

I stood, raising my fists. He swung his armadillo hand. I brought up my arm, attempting to block it. The claws raked across my forearm, drawing blood. I winced in pain, but pushed past it and swung my fist. I was used to bleeding worse than this.

He swung his right hand, scratching across my knuckles as my fist neared him. He brought up his gauntleted hand and deflected the attack. My newly bleeding hand slammed against his arm, which hurt much more than I expected it would.

I drew my fist back, then went in for another swing with my other hand. As I did so he brought up his right hand, and I brought up my knee, knocking his hand away and hitting him hard in the chest. His armadillo hand clawed my face, drawing blood.

"Looks like I've added another scar to your collection" He said.

"Oh please." I replied, "These scars were much worse than your petty little one"

"We'll see" He said, raising his fists and crouching lower to the ground, readying for an attack.

Just then my windows shattered around me.

* * *

**So there you have it. I was actually looking forward to writing this fist fight for a while, and thought it'd turned out horribly when I wrote it. Writing an action sequence is so much more awkward than reading it though, so I thought this one turned out okay. **

**Another good ol' cliffhanger to keep you guys coming back, as usual.**

**Also, if you guys haven't checked my profile recently, then you wouldn't know this. I've started another RWBY fanfiction. It'll follow a character that you haven't been introduced to yet, but will be in the next few chapters. I'm doing it as part of a RWBY fanfiction collaboration with a bunch of people, so I decided to have some fun with my part and make it a back story from HellFall. It'll be coming out in a while, I've only finished the first chapter (which is rather long), but its due by the end of January 2016. Hopefully it'll be up before then though.**

**Anyways, as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the chapter. **


	49. Azure II Chapter 1

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Just returned from a camping trip last night. Now I only have about half a day before school starts up tomorrow. After that late chapters will probably become more common, nor will they arrive at any point in the day. Just a little warning for you all. **

**As you can see by the title, we've entered Azure II! Remember back in Azure I when she only received two chapters? That sucked. There's more on her now though, and more to come! **

**I hadn't written in HellFall all summer thanks to camp and a little bit of writer's block (again) that came up a bit before, but that appears to have cleared. I just finished the first few chapters of Grey II, which is great. I hope you guys are looking forward to that. **

**Recently had some trouble checking the total views on each chapter, and as it turns out in the last two chapters have only had three total views! I know that's not true though, considering I have two reviews from different people on one of the last chapters, so I think the system's just a little screwed up right now. **

**Anyways, this chapter picks up the pace a little bit, so let's get on with it!**

* * *

"Look!" Nello called, pointing towards a large house. Inside we saw a young pink-haired woman fighting Rocco Trask.

Octavia's head spun, then suddenly her hand went to Thunder Cyclone, her hammer, "Move!" She called, charging towards the house.

We all turned in unison, charging towards the house, weapons ready. We leapt into the air, drawing all our weapons and crashing through the windows. Glass shards fell around us, scratching the wooden floor and flying all over the stairs and hallway. Rocco turned. The pink-haired woman shielded herself with her arms.

I spun Cratorus 2.0 around in my hands as I stood up, taking up a battle stance. Cratorus 2.0 was an improvement of my old weapon, Cratorus. It was a long, slender, dual-ended spear. It was a spruce-wood color, with two grips along the staff. It better resembled a toothpick, only with one point on either end. The weapon could evaporate into smaller pieces, then reform into an octagonal prism, which could be stored at the small of my back. It could also evaporate into and reform into a sniper rifle. I had a magnet attached to my middle finger on my palm, which I used to control it.

Nello Flecker stood to his feet, yanking out his whip, Eternal Punishment, and readying to strike. The whip had a large blade at the end.

Octavia Strom drew her hammer, holding it in both hands and facing Rocco.

Lastly, Xeyrus Love raised his fists, gun boots hopping lightly off the ground as he waited to attack.

Rocco looked around at all of us, his eyes centering on Octavia before he turned and ran, smashing through the wooden door and running down the road.

"Follow him!" Octavia shouted, turning and running after him through the door.

I turned to the pink-haired woman, who stood shocked and staring. "I'm so sorry," I said, "I'll come by later to pay for this" I gestured to the ground, before turning and following my team out the door.

Outside Rocco ran through the early morning traffic, dodging cars and getting several angry honks. Octavia and Nello followed him in.

"Azure, stay on this side!" Octavia called, "Xeyrus, other side! We'll surround him!"

Xeyrus fired off both his boots, shooting him into the air over the road and landing onto the sidewalk on the other side, where he continued to run. I sheathed Cratorus 2.0 and pumped my arms, running faster along the sidewalk. A group of people stopped on the sidewalk and watched.

"Excuse me!" I called, running past them. Soon I saw Rocco's head above all the cars. Octavia and Nello were right behind him.

He glanced back before throwing his human hand forward. Faded silver chains shot out, wrapping around Nello. Immediately my sniper rifle was out. I fired a bullet quickly, aiming down the scope and breaking the chain's link. The chain disappeared and Nello kept moving, nodding to me in thanks. Sheathing my weapon, I kept up my pace with Rocco.

I saw him duck down and gasped. "Look out!" I called out. Suddenly a car flew into the air towards Octavia and Nello.

"Nello!" Octavia called.

"On it!" He called back, wrapping his whip around the car and letting it down gentler than it would have been onto the sidewalk.

Rocco threw another car, then another immediately after. Nello caught one car, but the next came at him quickly. Octavia leapt towards it, wrapping her arms around the cab and throwing it back at Rocco. It slammed against the ground, crushing his back. Octavia landed on the car, caving in the roof. Nello landed quickly afterwards, and Xeyrus and I stopped on either side of the car.

"You're surrounded, Rocco," Octavia called, "There's no way out of this"

No response. Only the terrified crying of the unfortunate souls inside the vehicle.

Curiously, Octavia hopped off the car and pushed it aside.

"Hey!" Nello called, wobbling on the top of the car as it moved.

"That clever bastard" She said, looking at the road. Xeyrus and I walked past all the now stopped cars to find a hole in the road. He'd dug his way out from under the car.

"He can't have gotten far!" I said, starting towards the hole. Nello raised his arm to block me.

"He's part armadillo," he said, "underground he has the advantage"

"Xeyrus," I said, "shoot down the tunnel at him"

"I can try," he replied, "but I don't know how the tunnel curves. Most likely I'll make it cave in"

"We need him alive," Octavia said, "and on the surface of Remnant. It'd be best to admit defeat for today, try again another day"

I sighed as everyone began to walk away sullenly. I glanced down the tunnel before turning around and joining them.

"Let's head back to base." Octavia said. "And get some money to pay back that poor woman"

"I'll take care of that," I said, "I already told her I would earlier"

"Alright," Octavia replied, "here." she handed me a bundle of Lien, "Tell her she can keep the change"

I nodded before pocketing the Lien and turning around to walk to the pink-haired woman's house. I was too tired to run now, and very slowly made my way there.

When I did reach the house I walked through the door, "Ma'am?" I called.

"In here!" She called. I turned right and walked into a room filled with various instruments. She was sitting on a stool, her scroll in hand. She looked up, "Your back," she said, "did you catch Rocco?"

"No," I replied, "but how do you know his name?"

"He kidnapped and attacked my friend and me not long ago. This morning as you saw he got into my house" she replied.

"Oh," I replied, pulling out the bundle of Lien, "I have some Lien to fix the house"

She looked up, "Oh, thank you." She said, "I'm calculating the cost right now." She tapped her scroll for a bit longer before stopping, "You owe me about seventeen-hundred Lien"

I handed her the bundle, "Here" I said.

Flipping through it she looked up and handed me about a third of the bundle, "Keep the change," I said, "for the trouble we gave you"

"Oh please," she said, "it's not your fault. Only the windows are"

"We still want you to keep it" I insisted.

She shrugged, "Okay" She replied, taking the Lien back.

I turned around to leave.

"Where do you think you're going?" The pink-haired woman asked.

"Heading back to meet with my team" I replied.

"No you aren't," she said, "I want to know what you know about Rocco Trask"

"I'd rather not get you involved"

"He involved me already, remember?"

"More involved then you already are"

"I'll take my chances"

I sighed, turning back to face her, "Alright," I replied, "The leader of my team, Octavia Strom, was once kidnapped by Rocco Trask and Gale Sheng. Through some experiment there she had her semblance taken away. Currently we're working to find them in hopes of reversing the effect and returning her semblance to her"

"I see," the woman said, "thank you. What do you know individually about them?"

"Rocco is an armadillo Faunus Hybrid. Meaning something happened when he was born that affected his body, most likely genetics. His semblance is the creation of chains, and his weapon is his gauntlet. As far as we know of, there isn't a gun attached to it. Gale Sheng, on the other hand, we don't know anything but her name. We haven't even seen her yet. All we know is that her hair is a blue-green color"

"Thank you," the woman said, "I'll keep these in mind"

"Are you sure you can take care of yourself?" I asked.

"I'm fine," she replied, "believe it or not, I've been hunting for over a decade"

I was surprised. Clearly she was older than her appearance let on, "Alright," I replied, "good to know"

"Oh, also," she started, "I lost my main weapon to them. If you ever find two brown suitcases in a black car, chances are they're mine"

"I'll be sure to look out for those and return them if I can" I said.

"I'd appreciate it, thank you"

"No problem" I replied, turning around and leaving.

* * *

**So there you have it. Azure's team and the fact that she survived are both revealed, plus a bit more on Rocco (Gale not so much). **

**What do you guys think of Azure's new weapon? Yay? Nay? I like it quite a bit personally. It actually went through a lot of major design changes as I tried to make it realistically turn into a gun, but ultimately gave up on it and went with something more futuristic. Otherwise the overall shape has changed multiple times, and I found myself actually forgetting what the final design was on several occasions, which is probably why it changed so much. I had the intention of changing it from Cratorus to Cratorus 2.0 for a while, so I didn't change it just because I didn't like the original Cratorus (although I wasn't particularly fond of it)**

**Also, Nello's weapon. Blink and you'll miss it, it's a small description, but there's not a heck of a lot else to say about it. It's a whip with a big blade at the end. What do you guys think of that? Let me know in a review!**

**Anyways, not a whole lot happened in this chapter so I guess I'll just end it here. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter! **


	50. Azure II Chapter 2

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**So sorry about the lateness, I completely forgot about it. Lately I've been more focused on finishing up my other RWBY fanfiction, 'The Candidates". It's a short one (5-7 chapters), so I'll be able to finish it up soon, at which point it'll be released to you guys. Hopefully by that point you'll all know who's backstory it's based off of (if you check my profile I tell you the name, but its not a character you've been introduced to yet).**

**Anyways, you guys have waited long enough. On with the chapter!**

* * *

As I crossed the road where the chase had occurred, I saw that several reporters were gathered around, interviewing the traumatized drivers.

"There!" One called, pointing to me, "She was in the fight!"

Immediately I was swarmed by cameras and microphones. I decided to go along with it, just to give the poor drivers a break.

Through all the questions, I heard one discernible voice, "Why were you chasing this person?"

"I'd rather keep that private" I replied.

"Who were you chasing?"

"Rocco Trask." I replied, "A Faunus Hybrid"

"Why the interest in Rocco Trask?"

"Personal reasons" I replied, getting impatient, as I wasn't used to this much attention. It made me claustrophobic. I started to walk. The crowd allowed my movement, but they moved with me, making it difficult to feel like I was moving freely.

"Who are you?" One called.

"None of your business" I replied.

A camera flashed in my eyes. I raised my hand to block the light.

"Is Rocco Trask dangerous?"

"Yes," I replied, gesturing to the road, "Obviously"

"Why was he attacking you?"

"Private" I replied, starting to walk forward, getting tired of all the attention. They moved with me, so I kept pushing. My fox ears were hurting.

"Who was with you?"

"Private"

"Who is Rocco Trask?"

"A Faunus Hybrid." I replied, "I thought I said that already"

"Can you elaborate more on Rocco?"

"No"

They continued to swarm around me until I just gave up. I leapt into the air, over the crowd, and onto the roof of a car. Their eyes followed me through the air, and when I landed they ran as a clump towards me.

I turned around to run, only to find that I had landed quite close to the hole Rocco had made. Hopping over it, I tried to start running. Suddenly fingers clasped around my ankle, dragging me downwards into the hole.

The reporters followed, surrounding the hole and watching me slide down. I reached out, clawing at the tunnel. Dirt broke from the tunnel walls, falling into my face and getting in my eyes. I shut them and spat, as some dirt had also gotten into my mouth.

My other arm was stuck, sliding against the side of the tunnel.

"Let go of me!" I called, shaking my leg.

Just then I felt the pressure relieved from my ankle, and I stopped moving.

I froze, realizing that I couldn't move. My arm was caught, and the tunnel was too narrow for me to be able to wiggle through. I was stuck.

I kicked out my legs frantically, only dirtying my boots against the tunnel walls.

"Help!" I called, my voice echoing slightly through the tunnel.

I looked around, terrified. I kicked out again, breaking a bit of dirt free. I felt tears begin to fall from my eyes.

Suddenly I felt something wrap around my ankle again, only it didn't feel like fingers this time. It felt hard and cold, like the links of a chain. I flew down the tunnel until I felt my body slowly begin to enter open air, and eventually my whole body was out and I fell. I covered myself in aura, bracing for impact. My back slammed against the floor of a pitch black room. The ground cracked below me, but luckily my back didn't.

"Azure." I heard a familiar voice say, "You really are quite something"

I stood up, looking around until I saw a figure standing in the darkness. It was Rocco.

"I was going to leave you there to die." He started, "But then I realized how, _inhumane_, that would have been"

"What is this place?" I demanded.

"Getting right into business, as usual." He replied, "This is simply a hole that I decided to dig while you were away. Of course, I had a bit of help"

I looked around, the room was relatively large as well as deep. "Why?" I asked.

"For past experiments." He replied, "But who knows? Maybe I'll need this hole in the future. For, perhaps, private battles"

My hand went back for Cratorus 2.0.

"I wouldn't recommend that." Rocco said, noticing my hand. "You wouldn't want to upset the residents, would you?"

"Residents?" I asked.

"Who do you think started this hole for me?" He asked, "It certainly wasn't me. I only memorized its location and dug that tunnel" He flicked his chin upwards, gesturing to the tunnel from which I'd entered through.

"Who's with you then?" I asked, "Livie?"

"Goodness, no," He replied, "She's Gale's minion. Scitalis Abel is mine. And let me tell you, he's quite _abel_ if you know what I mean"

That pun made me crack. I unsheathed Cratorus 2.0 and charged, ready to stab Rocco. He stood perfectly still, as if he knew that there was no way I could hit him.

Then something hit me, knocking me aside. I stood, taking up a low stance and looking around. Then I saw him. It appeared to be a Faunus. He was covered from head to toe in dark green scales, with yellow snake-like eyes. A long, thin tail stretched out from his tailbone, equally green and scaled. He wore iron armor on his shoulders, elbows, arms, legs, and knees. Over his body he wore a black vest, with two bullet belts tightly strapped across his body, each one stretching from one shoulder to the opposite hip.

He hissed, revealing a long forked tongue and long, extending fangs.

I hissed back, revealing my smaller fangs and trying to intimidate him.

"Go nuts" Echoed Rocco's voice as he left.

Scitalis, or at least that's who I assumed he was, sneered, licking his lips, only his tongue stretching out and tapped his unblinking eye.

I tightened my grip around Cratorus 2.0, readying for his attack. Suddenly he charged, hissing. I wrapped my other hand around the shaft of my spear, bracing myself. He smacked my spear, but I refused to move it. He punched me in the face, sending me staggering backwards. As I recovered I looked up into his foot. He kicked me backwards, and I fell over, dropping Cratorus 2.0. As I reached for it Scitalis placed his green bare foot over it.

"No weapons" He said. His voice was scratchy yet still smooth sounding. His voice seemed to perfectly suit a reptile.

I stood, raised my fists, and planted my feet lightly into the ground. I preferred to kick over punch.

Scitalis raised his fists in front of his face, taking up his fighting position. He threw a punch, aiming for my head. I moved my head to the side, avoiding the attack. His second fist went for my gut. I swung my hand down, smacking his fist away.

He hopped backwards, planting his feet into the dirt. I hopped lightly on my feet for a while, then leapt and kicked forwards. He side-stepped, avoiding the attack.

Clenching his fist, he faked a swing. It distracted me enough for him to sweep out his foot, hitting my leg and sending me to the ground. He stepped on my head, pressing it into the rock below.

"Embarrassing" He hissed, lifting his foot and kicking me over in the face. My nose bled, and I yelled out in pain.

Rolling over, I saw Cratorus 2.0 and reached out for it. Wrapping my fingers around it, I started to turn. There was no way I could win this fight with my fists alone. Clearly this guy was a professional.

As I spun around to face him, a bullet flew, knocking the spear from my hand.

"I thought this was a no-weapons duel" I said.

"So did I" Scitalis replied. I saw that his weapon appeared to be a long shotgun. He fired at me again. I brought up my aura, deflecting the shot. He fired three more times before he paused. I reached for Cratorus 2.0 again, only to hear the sound of a light click and more flying bullets.

I spun around, blocking the bullets and standing back to my feet.

"So are weapons allowed now?" I asked.

"Suppose so" He replied.

I let out a breath, then charged, swinging Cratorus 2.0 down on him. He whipped up his shotgun, blocking the attack. Evaporating my spear, then solidifying it below his gun, I jabbed forward. The spear stuck into his gut, drawing blood. He looked down, then back at me. He frowned, then slammed his shotgun against my face, sending me stumbling backwards.

Catching myself quickly, I saw him charging, shotgun aimed forward. He fired, then swung his shotgun upwards, revealing a silver axe blade attached to the stock. The bullet distracted me, but not enough to stop me from barely blocking the blow.

Yanking my spear back, I swung downwards on him, transforming it into a sniper rifle as I did so. I pulled the trigger, firing a bullet past his ear before yanking the rifle back, transforming it, spinning, and snapping it against the side of his head.

He spun to the side, catching himself quickly. As I charged, he drew another weapon: a sawed-off shotgun with a drill attached to the bottom of the barrel. He fired, making me stop to block the attack. I spun Cratorus 2.0 around, creating a shield that dispersed the explosion from the gun around me. He lunged, drill spinning, towards me. I struck out my hand, activating my aura. The drill hit the shield forming above my hand. He pushed, and I propelled my aura forward. However, he was stronger, and his drill was slowly reaching my palm.

I reached up, swinging Cratorus 2.0 around my head and slicing his forehead. He stood for a second longer, seeing my moment of vulnerability. His drill went straight through my hand before he fell backwards.

My hand bled out, making it impossible for me to hold Cratorus 2.0 with two hands.

Looking up from my dripping hand, I saw that Scitalis was gone. Quickly I found him, climbing the rocky wall. Transforming Cratorus 2.0 into a rifle, I aimed up at him and fired. He had a powerful aura projected up, making any bullet penetration impossible. _If he's using that much aura then he's clearly retreating_.

"Coward!" I called, hoping that he was too proud to take that. He wasn't, and soon disappeared into a crevice high up in the wall.

I sighed, focusing my aura on my hand. I was lucky he didn't return after I yelled at him. I was in no shape to continue fighting. It was likely that my hand wouldn't heal the same way, but I wanted to stop the bleeding nonetheless. As the wound sealed itself up, I saw that I still had a small hole in the palm of my hand, the edges covered by a layer of pale white skin. _Better than a bloody hole_, I thought.

Looking back up to where Scitalis had disappeared, I realized that he'd probably long since escaped.

Glancing to the end of the room, I saw a huge tunnel at ground level. Sheathing Cratorus 2.0, I approached it. There appeared to be some kind of staircase leading up to it. It felt too intentional to me.

Looking up into the tunnel, I started forward.

* * *

**So there you have it. A little fight, an introduction to yet another character, and more mysterious information on who Rocco is. Plus a reference to Gale, if ya'll remember her from Violet I, as well as Livie, her minion. **

**Scitalis was (if you can believe it at this point) made up on the spot. I think at this point I was already planning an Azure vs. Rocco fight so I didn't want them to duke it out just yet. **

**Also, Azure's new hand hole. That's fun, and I play around with that in future chapters as well. The thought of having a hole in my hand kind of wigs me out though. Oh well, such is life. **

**Anyways, not a heck of a lot to say, so as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	51. Crimson II Chapter 8

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Again, so sorry about the lateness. I keep forgetting. Monday just isn't my day I guess. I've been feeling a little sick, so I had to see the doctor yesterday, which took up a good chunk of time. With everyone else I wanted to do, I guess I just forgot. **

**But the chapter's here now, so that's good. We'll be returning to Crimson II briefly. Yes, Azure II has only had two chapters, but I can assure you that it will not stay that way. HellFall Part 2 will be a heck of a lot longer than Part 1, so we'll have plenty of time to evenly distribute the chapters. **

**Anyways, let's get on with the chapter!**

* * *

"So you want team VAIN?" Thunder asked, his elbows resting on the low, steel table before him. I was leaned back, relaxed, in my chair. Thunder was a lot more tired than I was. I felt like something else was bothering him, but I didn't touch on it.

"Yes." I replied, "We're in round 3, they've passed with flying colors thus far. We can only expect more from them in the coming matches"

Thunder nodded sleepily, "Okay," he replied, "So that's another team to add to the list"

"How many do we have on the list now?" I asked, curious.

"Uh," Thunder groaned, going down the list and counting as he went. I could see his lips moving as he did so.

"Seven." He replied, "That's including the uncertain and certain ones"

"Which ones are we certain on?" I asked.

He sighed, looking over the list, "Six." He replied, "Team WRGE is still uncertain"

"Six?" I asked, "I can only think of five, not including WRGE. Who else is there?"

"PHGG," He started drowsily, "VAIN, RWBY, CRDL, JNPR, and STEW"

"There's no STEW in the tournament" I pointed out.

"They're busy right now." He replied, "But I've called on them before. They're trustworthy"

"Oh," I replied, "What are they doing?"

"Serving time" Thunder replied, looking over the list.

"In prison?" I asked.

"Where else?" He asked.

"Can we really trust a team of criminals?"

"I can"

I sighed, running my hands along my face, "Fine." I replied, "When do they get out then?"

"After the tournament," he replied, "at some point then. Not sure when"

"Are they powerful at least?" I asked.

"What do you think dumbass?" Thunder snapped lazily.

"Sorry" I apologized, taken aback by his sudden response.

He sighed, "No, I'm just tired. Sorry." He replied, "Yes, their leader, Sockeye, is considered the second strongest known huntress in Remnant. The only problem is that she is a criminal, so she's been banned from the tournament"

"And her team?" I asked. The name Sockeye rang a bell, but I couldn't figure out which bell it was.

"They go where she goes." He replied, "And she goes where they go. They trust each other immensely, and they're all very talented. Trust me"

There was a brief moment of silence.

"What is it Thunder?" I asked.

"What?" He asked.

"You're distracted." I replied, "More than usual at this time. What's up?"

"Why the sudden concern?" He asked.

"Believe it or not Thunder, but I gotten to know you pretty well over these past few weeks." I replied, "I care about your well-being you know"

"Humph." He grunted, "Have you heard the news lately?"

"News?" I asked.

"Yeah," He replied, "Rocco Trask. Heard of him?"

I paused, "Doesn't ring a bell" I replied.

"Oh." He said, "Well, Trask has recently been reportedly terrorizing the city. He broke into a tournament competitor's house recently. Specifically, Nicole Rozovyy's home. After that a young woman was dragged down a tunnel that he dug, and hasn't shown up since. Somehow I get the feeling that this all has to do with Plan H"

"I see." I replied, "By the way, have any of your men picked up on the folder that I gave you?"

"Not yet." He sighed, "Honestly, they've been working like dogs on that thing. I see them, night and day. Some of them never see their kids or wives anymore"

"Good to know they're determined" I pointed out.

"I've heard rumors that Cadet's wife is planning a divorce" He added.

"A little too determined" I added.

"I really wish we could find some help." He said, leaning back in his chair and sighing heavily. He paused, hands over his face, then suddenly sat up. "What about that guy you dragged in earlier?"

"Who?" I asked.

"Remember?" He asked, "That one-legged guy that you dragged in when you first came here"

Realizing who he was talking about, I shook my head, "No," I replied, "No, I don't want to talk to him"

"Why not?" He asked, "He could help us"

"I've tried," I said, "That guy doesn't even have a tongue"

"Really?" Thunder asked.

"I doubt it." I replied, "The boy hasn't even talked yet"

"Maybe if you hadn't cut off his leg he's be more inclined to speak with you" He pointed out.

"I was defending myself." I said, "He could have killed me if I was suicidal"

Thunder snickered, "You're so cocky." He said, "Tell you what. Go in there; tell him we'll give him a brand new leg if he squeals"

I paused, sighed, then stood up, "Fine." I replied, "But don't expect results"

**Line**

"Soldier" I said, approaching the cell in which the man was imprisoned.

"Sir Void" The guard next to the door greeted, stepping aside and opening the cell door. I'd specifically requested he referred to me as 'sir' over mister. It made me feel powerful. Inside the cell sat a defeated looking man, with shaggy dark green hair and extremely pale skin. His head sagged, and his whole body looked like it'd collapsed while he was standing. He wore an orange prison jumpsuit.

"I don't care for small talk so I'm just going to get right into it." I started, the door being shut behind me, "Who are you?"

No response.

"What is your connection to Mr. Fall?"

No response.

"What do you know about Plan H?"

No response.

"Do you have a tongue?!"

He looked up, slowly raising his head and looking at me with thin, pale green eyes. Then he stuck out his tongue, without making a sound, before lowering his head once again.

I resisted the urge to beat him to death. I sighed. "Buddy," I started, unstrapping Arkynshihn from my belt and leaning it against the wall, "let me make you an offer." I crouched down in front of him, resting my hand on my knee, "You talk, and we'll install a shiny new leg onto that little stub. How about that?"

He looked up, and a small half smile curled across his lip.

"There we go." I said, smiling, "That's the spirit"

He spat on my face, then turned back to the ground.

I hesitated, then grabbed his chin between my fingers. Holding him only an inch from my own face, I whispered, "Listen here, punk. If you don't talk, you'll never return to your people again. Understand me? You'll die here if you remain silent"

Throwing him back to the ground, I stood to leave.

"I was made for this." He said, loud and clear. I turned around. "My purpose has been fulfilled. Keeping me alive is a waste of resources"

"How would you like for your life to mean something?" I asked.

"It already did" He replied.

"Everyone is born for something." I said, trying my best to convince him, now that he was talking, "Maybe what you think you were made for really isn't your true purpose"

He laughed, "Heh, so what? My purpose is to squeal? Please, helping you is nowhere near my bucket list"

"This wasn't on my bucket list until about a month ago either." I replied, "Trust me, you can find purpose in the most unlikely places"

"And if this isn't my purpose?" He asked.

I paused, "Well," I started, "then you'll just have to keep searching. But for the time being, do what you feel is right"

"Like you did when you killed people for a living?" He asked.

"I was misguided then." I replied, "And I believe that so are you. Plan H set me straight, and chances are it'll do the same for you"

The man was silent. I didn't even hear him breathe.

I sighed, running my hand through my hair, before turning around to leave.

"Can you really do it?" He asked suddenly.

I turned around.

"Can you really fix my leg?" He asked.

"Of course." I replied, "What generation do you think we live in?"

He snickered, "Still your rude self, Mr. Void" He said, "I'll take you up on your offer. On my terms"

"What are these terms?" I asked.

"Firstly," he started, "I want out of this cell"

"Done"

"Secondly, I want better food, and more of it"

"Easy"

"Thirdly, I want a nice, shiny, silver leg. Make it smooth, too. I want it to be beautiful"

"Anything else?" I asked.

"Lastly," he started, looking up at me now, "I want in"

"In on what?" I asked.

"This mission." He replied, "The list you and Thunder have been forming. I want to help you fight."

* * *

**So there you have it. Yet another new character, if you remember way back to the end of Crimson I Gazini cut some random dude's leg off. Now he's alive and kicking, sort of. It's a little hard to kick with only one leg, but that's not the point. **

**Currently I've been working on another RWBY fanfiction, as I've mentioned in the past, and it's the back story of this one-legged character, who's name will be revealed later on in the story (already on my profile though). That should be coming in the next few months, so be looking forward to that. **

**Also, I started writing a full-length original story to be posted on Fictionpress. I started one a while ago, but due to camp I couldn't write in it and eventually forgot everything about everything in that story. So I just started something new (plus I'm not a fan of the genre of the story, which is superheroes (don't even know why I started it really, just had some ideas I guess (maybe it will continue one day (lot's of brackets) that I haven't thought about in ages, so it's interesting to go back to it and finally start. It's a thriller/horror story, so if your into that, I'll start posting in a while. **

**Anyways, that's about it. More to say today, but nothing you can't handle. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	52. Crimson II Chapter 9

**_Before I continue with the introduction, let me apologize for how this turned out. As I'm sure some of you noticed, the chapter I posted last night was actually last week's chapter. After going to fix it, however, I opened up my word document and this chapter was completely erased for some reason. Luckily, I had an older version of HellFall saved on another computer, and was able to recover it. Unfortunately, this chapter is not completely edited. When I edited it last night, it was perfectly fine, so you shouldn't have any trouble understanding it. I'm just a little bit (extremely) frustrated, as I hate it when I lose stories like this (yes, it's happened before). _**

**_Again, so sorry about the mix-up, and hope you enjoy the new chapter._**

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Man, I haven't written in forever. Or at least it feels that way. Better get back on that, HellFall keeps slipping my mind because of it. Although it probably doesn't help that I haven't written in this probably the longest out of my three projects right now. **

**This particular chapter felt a bit longer than it probably was, and sheds a lot of light on the situation. I actually quite enjoyed reading and writing this chapter. WARNING, it is a bit more graphic than previous chapters. If you have a vivid imagination, then be wary. But you should be fine either way, I'm not too graphic in terms of description (at least I don't think I am).**

**Now, on with the chapter!**

* * *

"What?" I asked, surprised. "Why?"

"Revenge" He replied.

"Revenge for what?" I asked, "What did they do?"

"Do you know what I am?" He asked. "I'm a science experiment"

"What?" I asked.

"I'm a clone," He continued, "a clone of the perfect soldier. A Heishi"

"So," I started, confused, "how does that tie into revenge?"

"The imperfect Heishi were brutally murdered." He replied, "Right in front of us, we witnessed them die. It was supposed to encourage us not to be imperfect, but all it did was further our lust for their heads"

"Wait, wait," I said, trying to understand, "who's 'they'?"

"Our creators." He replied, "Rumor has it they're clones too, but no one knows for sure"

I paused, trying to take it all in. "So your creators killed the imperfect clones. How does that affect you? They're just clones, right?"

"Whether they like it or not," He started, "they are creating people. We, as people, are capable of our own thoughts and opinions. What they did was cruel and inhumane. I don't want any more people to experience that"

"Heishi," I started, "that's the name they use for you?"

"Yes," he replied, "its means 'soldier'"

"So would your name just be Heishi?" I asked, "Or do you have a number or anything?"

"No," He replied, "The man whom I was cloned after was called Dennis Soldier. I've taken on that name, along with all the other Heishi"

"Dennis." I said, nodding, "It doesn't really suit you"

"Get over it"

"So do you know where we could get more information on Plan H?"

"Maybe." He replied, "In my creation chamber, there could be at least some information"

"Great." I said, standing, "Where is it?"

"Underground." Dennis replied, "If you let me out, I'll take you there"

"How can I know I can trust you?" I asked, still wary even after all the information he'd given me. I didn't have evidence to support or go against it.

"I won't help unless you take off these chains." He replied, holding up his cuffed wrists, "You'll have to take a leap of faith"

I sighed, "I'll talk to Thunder" I decided, leaving the cell with Arkynshihn.

Thunder was still seated in our discussion area.

"So?" He asked.

"He's willing to cooperate," I started, "if we release him and let him join the fight"

"Done" He replied.

"Are you sure you can trust him so easily?" I asked.

"Any lead is valuable, Gazini." He pointed out, "Besides, if it gets out of hand, you can handle him again, right?"

I hesitated, then nodded, "Of course" I replied, somewhat worried.

Returning to Dennis's cell I retrieved the keys from the guard, then unlocked the chains. "Try anything, and I'll cut you down. It won't just be a leg though"

He smiled, "Good" He replied, standing and rubbing his wrists. Immediately he fell.

"I'll need a new leg first" He pointed out.

"I can see that" I said.

* * *

Several hours passed, and day turned to night, then day again. I was itching to get into this 'creation chamber' Dennis spoke of, but he was busy getting a new leg, which was a lengthy process apparently.

Four days passed before he returned, wobbling on his new smooth, silver leg.

"I still need to get used to this," he said, hobbling over to me, "but that'll take too long. I'll take you to the creation chamber and wait outside, if you're okay with that"

"That's fine" I replied.

As I loaded my crimson moped into the back of a truck, Thunder approached me.

"You sure you don't need any extra soldiers?" He asked.

"I don't need your robots shooting everything that moves." I replied, "I'll be fine on my own"

He sighed, then nodded, "I guess this will require a human touch." He said, "But we do still have human soldiers"

"I think I'll be fine" I replied, slamming the back doors of the truck shut and climbing into the front seat.

"Good luck" He said.

"Thanks." I replied, "And good luck to you and the translators"

"Thanks" He said.

I slammed the door shut, then turned to Dennis.

"Where to?" I asked.

"Get to Cold Brook Avenue first of all"

For about half an hour, I drove, going everywhere he told me to. Finally, we stopped in front of what appeared to be a perfectly normal house.

"Now what?" I asked.

"Inside," he started, "there are a few rooms. In the last one, there will be a trapdoor in the corner. It's almost invisible, so keep your eyes peeled. Beyond there is darkness, but if you get to the end of the room, there will be a door. Go through and go from there"

"Got it." I replied, stepping out of the car, "Stay here"

"Of course" He said.

I shut the door, then walked to the front door of the house. It swung open when I turned the knob, revealing a simple square room. The last room was not hard to find, as there were only four rooms in the entire house.

To save time, I looked into the future and found the trapdoor. Sure enough, the room was below was pitch black. I traced the side wall until I reached the door, which was locked. Drawing Arkynshihn, I cut it open and walked through. Inside, I saw a long panel of buttons and switches. Above it was a long screen, with a long crack extending across the entire length. The control panel was cut in several places, with wires poking through the metal everywhere. Bodies littered the ground, some looking to be in the early stages of decay.

Stepping around the bodies and pools of dry blood, I found a slightly elevated balcony with a metal railing. It was cut in several places, and more dead bodies lay all over the ground.

The room curved slightly, with the entire left wall being taken up by the screen and control panel. At the end of the room was a door.

On the other side was an elevator. Stepping inside, I saw that there were four floors, each one labeled. Ground floor was labeled 'Control', bottom floor one was 'Training', bottom floor two was 'Creation', and bottom floor three was 'Disposal'

I went to bottom floor one, the training room. Weapons lined the walls, specifically the extendable katanas Dennis had first used on me. I pulled one off and looked it over before putting it back. Farther up were black kunai knives. Otherwise the room was filled with mats, punching bags, and mannequins.

Grabbing a few extendable katanas and kunai, I headed to the next floor: Creation.

The creation floor was interesting.

The room was completely white, and the walls were covered with glass cases, each one filled with a specific organ. The glass cases were completely filled with organs, which I assumed was a sign of inactivity. Some of the glass was cracking, and blood dripped out, along with other bodily fluids.

At the very end of the room was a tall glass cylinder, with a man inside who looked very similar to Dennis, only with neater hair. He was naked save for a bare of tight black underwear. His body was thin, showing bone through his skin. It was somewhat disturbing to see someone so skinny. He appeared to be dead, however, as I couldn't see him breathing.

Realizing that there wasn't anything here, I returned to the elevator and hesitantly pressed the button for the last floor. I didn't want to see it, but I knew that I needed to see everything, just to make sure.

I wish I hadn't seen it.

The room was long and dark, with brown stained walls and candles littering the floor, as if a sacrifice had taken place. Rusted metal cages covered in spikes hung from the ceiling and sat on the floor, with identical bodies hanging out of each one, sometimes more than one stuffed into one. Their skin-tight bodies were covered in bloody scars, and their teeth were rotted and yellow. Their eyes were pale, with faded irises and blank stares. They looked like zombies, only they weren't alive thankfully.

I took a few steps forward. This was something that I could never foresee. One body was plastered to the wall by chains clamped around its wrists and ankles, stretching it body out. His gut was sliced open, with dry blood dripping out. All the blood was dry.

Above the body was the phrase 'Hell shall descend upon our remains' written in streaks of thick blood. The phrase was written all over the walls, sometimes having dripped a bit over the wall, other times having been written into a splat of blood.

One word stood out amongst all the others. It was written above a tall doorway on the other side of the room. In thick, bloody letters, was the word 'HELLFALL'. The scary part was that the blood appeared to be fresh. I saw it drip down off the doorway to the floor, making a small puddle.

Then I heard footsteps in the tall entrance.

Frantically I looked for a place to hide. The only places were with the dead. Taking a deep breath, I went and hid under a dead body that was hanging out of a cage. I kept my head up, so that I could see who was coming out, and maybe catch them by surprise.

I was surprised to see a young woman walk out. She had long azure blue hair that was tied back in three tight, thin ponytails that stretched down to her waist. Her bangs were split down the middle of her forehead. Her skin was pale, and her nose was freckled. She had dark pink cat-like eyes that looked very serious. Her attire was interesting. It was a blue sleeveless shirt that revealed her abdomen. The shirt was azure blue, like her hair, and appeared to fold over her body. It had a soft, inch-thick dark turquoise trim around the edges of the shirt. The neck hole dipped into a deep V shape. She wore what appeared to be a lighter turquoise tube top around her body, which covered most of the cleavage that would otherwise be showing. What appeared to be a symbol was placed on her left breast, but it was covered by her shirt and too far away to make out. She wore blue sleeves separate from her shirt, with the turquoise trim on the upper part of her arm, but not on the lower part. She wore a tight, navy blue skirt that went just past her rear end. Her legs were covered by tall black boots that stretched all the way up to about an inch from the bottom of her skirt, revealing only a small part of her legs. I thought she was quite attractive, but was also very obviously much younger than me.

She gasped, looking around at all the dead bodies. She covered her mouth, and I saw tears trickle down her cheeks. Clearly she wasn't with the enemy.

I stepped out, revealing myself to her. Her eyes flicked to me, and suddenly a dual-ended wood-colored spear shot out of nowhere into her hands. She pointed it at me, her whole body shaking.

"Who're you?!" She screamed.

I held up my hands, "Relax." I said, "I'm not the enemy, unless you are"

"What side are you on?" She demanded, tears running down her cheeks.

I pointed my thumb to the bodies, "Not these guys, I promise"

She stared at me for a moment, then lowered her weapon.

"Do you know what all this is?" She asked.

"Imperfect clones" I replied.

"What?" She asked.

"On one of the upper floors they clone someone." I replied, "These are the ones that didn't turn out right"

"That's awful." She said, looking around. "Do you know what that means?" She asked, pointing to the phrase above the hanging body.

I shook my head, then pointed to HELLFALL, "Do you know what that is?" I asked.

She turned around, "I've never seen that before" She replied.

"Hmm," I mumbled, looking around the room.

"So, why're you here?" She asked me.

"I'd ask you the same question" I replied.

"I asked first"

"Right." I replied, scratching the back of my head, "I'm working with the military. I'm assuming that you're already into this, but I'm trying to figure all this out. Care to shed any light?"

"I know two of the people working with this." She replied. I raised an eyebrow, curious. "Rocco Trask and Gale Sheng" She said.

"How is that helpful?" I asked.

"It isn't, really" A deep voice from behind said.

I turned around.

"Who're you?" I asked.

"I am the man she spoke of." He replied, "Were you not paying attention? Rocco Trask"

"Huh," I said, reaching back to Arkynshihn's hilt.

"Come now," Rocco said, "let's be reasonable"

"I am being reasonable." I replied, "Shoot first, ask questions later"

"You must be a military dog" He said.

"I suppose so," I replied, "but I only use my owners for food"

"Is that so?" He asked. "Well, then I guess you're a bit of a stray"

"Typically, yes" I replied.

Rocco spread his arms apart, "What do you think?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Evil" I replied.

"I prefer the term, strive for perfection" He replied.

"So what is HellFall, huh?" I asked, "Is it part of your 'strive for perfection'?"

"I guess you could say that." He replied, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to"

He turned around to leave.

"Get back here!" I called after him.

"Take care of this" Rocco said to two men in long black trench coats, whom I hadn't noticed.

The two men charged, drawing extendable katanas.

"Too easy" I said, tightening my grip around the hilt of Arkynshihn. As the clones, or Heishi, neared, I drew my blade, slicing both in half immediately.

Rocco was already in the elevator, leaving.

I charged after him, "C'mon!" I called to the girl in blue behind me.

She was already running next to me. "Keep up!" She called after me.

I started to run, but stopped to look at the Heishi. They were bleeding out all over the ground. Their faces were identical to Dennis's. _He won't be happy about this_, I thought.

* * *

**So there you have it. The first mention of the word 'HellFall'. That's exciting. And the characters are finally meeting up too. Although some of them were already united in the tournament, these ones met by accident while exploring the plot, which is more interesting.**

**Azure is one of my favorite characters of mine, mostly because of her clothing design. I thought it was the most unique of all of them, plus it took a whole giant paragraph to describe. I'm sure that there are names for all of her clothing items, but I'm not hip with fashion, so I did my best with what I knew. **

**I'd had these chapters planned for a while, so I was super excited to finally be able to write them. Hopefully you guys enjoyed them too!**

**Also, as mentioned above in my apology, I've lost stories like this chapter before. The first series I ever wrote (5 books) was deleted out of my Google Docs account. It was by my school tech administrator (as it was a school Gmail account) wiping our accounts at the end of the year, but it was still frustrating. That is one of the main reasons why I don't use Google Docs anymore (and wouldn't recommend it, personally, despite my teachers telling me it's the greatest thing in the world).**

**Anyways, that's about it. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	53. Azure II Chapter 3

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**To start off, happy Thanksgiving everyone! I'm very thankful for all of you guys who've been supporting me and this story, whether you only just started last night, or if you've been with me since the beginning. The feedback is all very encouraging!**

**Good to know Azure is getting more chapters than last time, eh? I'm certainly more happy about that.**

**Also, this is a chapter I looked forward to writing for so long, and I'm so excited to finally be able to release it. I hope ya'll enjoy it a lot!**

* * *

By the time we reached the elevator shaft Rocco was gone.

The red-headed man looked around, "What's back there?" He asked, looking to the tunnel from which I'd emerged from.

"Not a short-cut" I replied, tearing open the metal grate doors and looking up into the shaft. Taking a few steps back, I charged and leapt inside, grabbing onto a tube on the other end.

The red-headed man sighed, then followed suit as I climbed higher.

"The elevator's coming back down" He said, keeping up surprisingly well for his size. He wasn't fat, but he seemed quite thick.

"Right," I replied sarcastically, "like you can see the future" I looked up to see that the elevator was still moving upwards.

"I can." He replied, "And I'm saying that you should prepare yourself"

"Oh please." I groaned, "Save your breath"

Just then there was a loud creak, and the sound of metal sliding against metal.

Looking up, I saw the elevator fast approaching. _How?_ I wondered, gasping.

The man behind me sighed, "Hold on!" He called, climbing past me and leaping forward.

"What're you doing?!" I asked, ducking my head.

The man drew his massive blade and cut a long scar through the floor of the elevator. It slammed into my body, the whole half of the floor flying straight off.

"Let go!" He called.

I let go, only to find no floor below me. Instead he wrapped his arm around my abdomen and pulled me onto flat land.

Looking down, I saw that we were standing on one side of the elevator. The other side was gone.

"You okay?" He asked, sheathing his sword.

"Uh-huh" I gasped, staring down at the hole.

The man turned around and started pressing the buttons on the wall. Pushing my loose hair strands out of my face, I turned around.

He slammed his fist against the wall, cursing, "Dammit!" He swore, "He must've severed the elevator completely"

"Now what?" I asked.

The man looked up at the ceiling, "We go up" He replied, drawing his blade again and slicing an untidy square into it.

"Not much for cleanliness, eh?" I asked, panicking a little.

"Saves some time" He replied, leaping through the hole and landing on the roof of the elevator. He offered his hand through the opening, pulling me out.

Sheathing his blade once again, he began to climb the side of the shaft as quickly as possible, moving like he was running on all fours. I followed, much slower and much less animal-like, despite being more animal than he likely was.

He reached the top of the shaft quicker than I did, and when he did he pulled me out.

"Keep up" He said as I planted my feet back on the ground.

I smiled a little, but quickly that smile faded as he turned around and ran.

"Wait" I said, looking around.

"What?" He asked, turning around as he opened a door right next to the elevator.

"I've been here before" She said.

"Yeah?" He asked, "Cool, let's go"

I hesitated.

"We can discuss it later" He said.

I nodded, "Right," I replied. "I'm Azure by the way"

"Funny how that was my mental nickname for you already." He said, "I'm Gazini"

We ran through the door into a pitch black room. I guided him through, as I was a Faunus, and we exited through a closed trapdoor. Outside a truck waited for us, and I saw Rocco already driving down the road.

I turned around to see Gazini loading a crimson colored moped out from the back of the truck.

"Wouldn't the truck be faster?" I asked.

"Not with me it ain't" He replied, slamming the back doors shut.

"Hey, Gazini!" Someone called.

"Not now Dennis!" He replied, "I'm a little busy!"

He was about to sit down on the moped, then turned back to the man called Dennis. "Oh yeah, here" He threw him two katanas and several black kunai knives.

"Oh sweet, thank you!" He called.

"Don't pop any tires!" He called, hopping onto the scooter.

"Get on" He told me. When I hesitated he snapped, "Get on! They're getting away!"

I got onto the back, and he started driving. The moped moved faster than any I'd ever seen on the road, and I almost fell off right away.

"Hold on!" He called, already finding Rocco's truck and giving chase. Oddly enough, we were faster than it.

Suddenly Rocco popped out from the top of the truck. When he saw us he looked down into the truck and yelled something. After straightening himself he raised his metal fist.

"Is that a gauntlet?" Gazini asked.

"Yes." I replied, "To my knowledge, it has no other functions"

As if on cue, he flicked the gauntlet and it extended, revealing an open space at the base of his wrist.

"Looks more like a hand than a glove" Gazini pointed out.

"I noticed" I replied.

Rocco drew a tall rectangular case, filled with three black orbs. Sliding it into his opened wrist, he pointed his hand at us and spread his fingers apart, revealing an opening in his palm.

"No other functions?" He asked.

"I didn't know!" I pointed out.

One black orb, or grenade, launched out, followed by two more. They flew at us quickly. Gazini swerved, easily avoiding them all. The road and cars behind us weren't so lucky.

Rocco frowned, then loaded in another one. As he fired and we avoided I noticed that they were getting farther and farther ahead.

"Gazini!" I called, "We're falling behind!"

He frowned, "Not yet we're not!" He replied, turning the handles and forcing the moped to move faster.

Just then the traffic began to build up ahead of us.

"We're stuck!" I said.

"Have you met me?" Gazini asked.

"Not really" I replied.

"I'm the best damn moped driver there is" He replied, pressing a suspicious red button on the base of the right handle. All of a sudden we gained a major increase in speed.

"Keep holding on!" He called.

I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around his waist, clinging on for dear life. I glanced back, not willing to look any further for fear of flying off. Blue fire spewed from the back. Immediately my eyes shot back forward again.

"Is this even legal?!" I asked.

"Probably not!" He replied.

As we neared the traffic jam Gazini leaned back, pulling the moped with him into a wheelie. I screamed, glancing back again. The fire hit the ground, grinding up the road.

Gazini pressed a blue button on the base of the left handlebar, and the fire intensified. We flew into the air for a second, allowing the moped to mount the top of the nearest car. It honked, and I heard people screaming from inside. The fire settled down at the back of the moped, but was still intense enough for us to jump from car to car as we sped towards Rocco's truck.

He frowned and ducked back into his truck, shutting the hatch above him.

As the traffic cleared we returned to the ground, and Rocco made a sharp turn ahead of us. Despite reaching him quicker, we were still a ways behind.

"Have you got a gun in that thing?" Gazini asked, referring to Cratorus 2.0.

"Yeah, why?" I asked.

"You any good with it?" He asked.

"Of course!"

"Then get it ready, and fire as soon as you see him"

I was about to ask 'why now?', but then he suddenly swerved down an alleyway that curved sharply around the back of a tall building. As we reached the next turn he stuck out his foot, skidding his heel against the ground and kicking up bits of rock.

I drew my sniper and aimed, realizing what his plan was now.

"Fire!" He called.

Aiming down the sights, I saw Rocco just pulling past the alleyway. I fired, popping a tire. The truck skidded to a halt. We started forward, but Rocco came out to meet us instead. He was clearly furious.

"Well, you certainly excel at interfering with other people's business." He said. "Tell me," he paused, "why?"

Gazini got off his moped and drew his blade; "Guess" He replied, raising it above his head.

Suddenly four thin blades shot out from the top, bottom, and both sides of Rocco's gauntlet, looking like they'd get tangled up with his metallic fingers. He swung his arm, blocking Gazini's attack.

The two of them engaged in a breath-taking battle, Gazini swinging his blade expertly and Rocco dodging each blow with relative ease. Somehow Gazini managed to swing his massive blade extremely quickly and easily with one hand. The battle was a blur to me.

All of a sudden Gazini backed up, signaling for me to enter the battle. Drawing Cratorus 2.0 into a spear, I swung at Rocco, narrowly blocking his attack. Clearly he was much more experienced than I was. Spinning I swung my spear, barely hitting his blade. I spun around again, transforming it into a sniper and firing without aiming, skimming his ear with the bullet. I spun back around, returning it to its spear state and spinning it in my hand, deflecting his next attack.

He swung out his armadillo hand, hitting my face and knocking me backwards. He swung his blades; cutting my hands and making me drop my spear. He swung up his foot, kicking me in the gut. I staggered backwards, and then instinctively raised my hand in defense. Activating my aura, I saw him aim his fingers at me and fire off several small bullets. They all bounced off my carefully generated and powerful aura.

Just then I felt the air split by the side of my head, and an arrow shot through the hole in my palm. Blood spewed out, but the arrow went straight through, stabbing straight into Rocco's upper chest, right by his left arm. He fell backwards, groaning in pain.

I grabbed my wrist in pain and frustration, falling to the ground as hot red blood dripped from my palm. Focusing my aura, however, I tried to heal it as quickly as possible.

I heard Gazini draw another arrow, and looking up I saw his blade split down the middle, and a long bowstring attaching the ends of the blade together. An arrow was situated against the string, and rested on the gold ball at the hilt of the blade (which was now the center of the bow)

He aimed the arrow straight at Rocco's head. I stood after healing my hand and pointed my sniper rifle at him.

"Talk, Rocco" Gazini demanded.

He laughed, "I'm already dead." He replied, "Whether you like it or not, I'm not saying a thing"

"What is Plan H?" Gazini asked.

Rocco just smiled, "So you know?" He asked.

"What is HELLFALL?"

"Don't waste your time asking the same question" He coughed, blood beginning to leak out from his throat.

"What is Plan H?!" Gazini demanded furiously.

Rocco smiled, laughing with what little life he had left. Then his mouth opened, and he said one phrase, "Hell shall descend upon our remains" He whispered, then fell silent.

Gazini kept his arrow pointed at him, then slowly put the arrow back and sheathed his blade. The bow folded together again with a soft mechanical sound, and as he sheathed it the blade seemed to shrink in height.

I heard shouts coming from the truck that Rocco had been driving in. Gazini grabbed my arm and pulled me back to the moped.

"Time to go" He said.

"But we can take these guys" I pointed out.

"That doesn't mean we have to" He said, picking me up and trying to seat me on the moped.

"I can get on myself, thank you" I said, pushing his hands off my arm and sitting down on the moped again.

Gazini looked at me for a second, then sat down and drove off in the opposite direction of the truck.

* * *

**So there you have it. Gazini and Azure have introduced themselves, and Rocco has died. **

**I was a little disappointed to kill off Rocco here, especially with so little of his weapon and character being explored. But oh well, the story has to progress somehow. I made sure to expose as much about his weapon as possible in his last few moments, though (the grenade launcher, wrist blades, and finger guns). **

**I really don't have a heck of a lot to say today, plus I'm in a bit of a hurry right now. **

**Again, I'm so thankful for your guys's support and I hope you continue to enjoy HellFall. **

**And anyways, as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	54. Azure II Chapter 4

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**After finishing that last chapter you'd probably expect this one to cool it down a notch, and it does just that. It's not too long, and not much happens, so it really cools it down. **

**When I finished this particular chapter I hit writer's block for the second time since starting this story, and it actually took a really long to time to get going again. I eventually had to force it, if I remember correctly, which is why this chapter and the next are so...empty...so to speak. Nevertheless, you should read it because it has somewhat important information, mostly on Azure's team. **

**Anyways, let's get on with it!**

* * *

We drove for a while, not speaking, and never looking back. The men didn't follow us. The sky soon transformed from a dim light to darkness, and eventually we arrived at the Atlas military base.

"Stop." I said, "I'm getting off here"

"Great," Gazini replied, "let me just park"

He steered the moped into a small parking spot, then hopped off and offered me his hand. I got off on my own, not in a particularly good mood.

"Let's head in" He said, starting towards the military base.

"I'm not going in if that's what you mean" I replied.

He turned around, looking straight into my eyes. For the first time I noticed that he had one white eye and one dark blue eye. "Why's that?" He asked, sounding somewhat frustrated.

"I don't need you help" I replied.

He snickered, shaking his head, "Your in this, whether you like it or not." He said, "Come on"

I turned around to leave.

"Hey!" He called after me.

"I don't need your help!" I replied, "I can take care of myself"

"That's exactly why we need you." He said, "You held your own against Trask, which is quite a feat for someone your age. He was definitely a professional"

"Combat skill isn't everything." I pointed out, my back still turned to him, "You clearly have that covered"

"Fighting isn't all that we need though"

"Yeah?" I asked, "Well, you certainly found that base pretty easily on your own. You really don't need me" I started to walk away.

"But you found it first." He pointed out. I stopped. "Yes, we found it, but you found it first, remember?"

_Yes, I remember, idiot_, I thought. Although he did have a point.

"We could use someone like you" He said.

I sighed, not believing what I was about to say. I turned around, "I'll think about it. Do you have a scroll?" I decided.

"Yes" He replied, perking up a bit. Reaching into his pocket, he drew the slender white device and opened it. I pulled out mine and we connected ours so that we'd be in contact.

"When can I expect to hear from you?" He asked.

"Whenever I'm done deciding" I replied, pocketing my scroll and turning around to leave.

"So what do you know about that place?" He asked.

I sighed, turning back around. "I know about Rocco Trask and Gale Sheng. My leader has seen Sheng, but can't remember what she looks like"

"Your leader?" Gazini asked.

"Can I explain?" I asked sternly.

"Yes, sorry" He replied.

"Anyways." I continued, "They have the power to remove your semblance, so be careful. That's what happened to my leader"

He raised his hand slightly, indicating that he'd like to speak. I nodded.

"How do they do that?" He asked.

"They hooked up my leader to a machine and sucked away all her aura." I replied, "So I'd suggest not getting knocked out or avoiding machines when you're around them. Also, they work in the darkness since they're both Faunus, so be prepared for that"

"Good to know" He said.

"So what do you know?" I asked in return.

"Well," He started, "I know that the Falls are involved"

"Oh yes, Octavia mentioned that" I said.

"I also know where Mr. Fall operates. A complex in Aldbay." He continued, "We retrieved a folder labeled 'Plan H', which is what I asked Trask about earlier"

"What does the folder say?" I asked.

"It's written in code," he replied, "and we have yet to crack it"

"Anything else?" I asked.

"Not really." He replied, "We're both shooting in the dark a little here"

"Looks that way." I replied, then turned around. "Well, I got to get going. Thanks for the help today"

"No worries" He said, turning around to leave.

I looked back, seeing him headed towards the military base. He waved back to me, "Hope to hear from you soon" He said.

I wanted to say something, but couldn't figure out what, so I turned around and started walking. Just then it began to rain.

* * *

Returning to the Team ONAX (onyx) home, I unlocked the door and walked in, my hair hanging in front of my face and dripping all over.

"Where have you been Azure?" Octavia burst into the front hallway, grabbing my soggy shoulders.

"I've had a rough night" I replied.

"Let me get you a towel" Nello called from down the hallway.

"Thanks" I said, staying where I was.

"What happened to you?" Octavia asked me.

"Well," I started. "After delivering the money to the woman, I-"

Nello walked past Octavia and wrapped me in a towel. I nodded in thanks.

"Let's go sit somewhere more comfortable" He suggested.

"Sounds good" Octavia replied, taking my shoulder in one hand and guiding me down the hardwood hallway.

The front hallway branched off to the kitchen on the left side a few feet in, and a few feet after that branched off into a staircase on the right. Straight ahead was the living room, and a door lead from the kitchen to the living room as well. Upstairs were four bedrooms and a bathroom.

I sat down on a wooden stool in the kitchen, not wanting the rain covering me to drip all over the living room carpet and sofas. Octavia and Nello looked at me expectantly.

Looking at both of them I asked, "Where's Xeyrus?"

"He's asleep" Octavia replied.

"Right." I replied, "Is it that time already?"

"Nine at night?" Octavia asked, "Yep"

"Huh, time flies I guess." I said. Turning back to my two teammates before me, I explained what had happened.

"He offered us a place in the military." I finished, "We could get more information easily. They have a folder about them and everything. I think it's a good idea"

Both paused to think. Octavia scratched her chin, "Is this Gazini fellow attractive?" She asked.

"He's much older than me" I pointed out.

"That's not what I asked." She said, "Age is just a number when you're in a relationship"

"Yeah," I replied, "but this guy was, like, forty or something"

"Was he an _attractive_ forty-year-old?" She persisted.

I sighed, "A little, yes." I finally caved, "But that's not the point. I think this could be really good for us"

"Yes." Octavia replied, "You would never join an organization just because a half-decent forty-year-old offered. Clearly you're serious"

Nello turned to me, holding a hot mug of tea.

"When'd you make this?" I asked, confused as to where it came from.

"While you were explaining." He replied, "I thought you could use some"

"Well, thanks." I said, sipping it before turning back to Octavia, "So?" I asked.

Octavia scratched her chin for a while longer, then turned around and started towards the living room, "I'll think about it." She replied, "We'll discuss it tomorrow. For now," She stopped in the doorway to the living room and turned around, "Take a shower, you stink."

* * *

**So there you have it. The layout of Team ONAX's home, the fact that their team name is ONAX (onyx) and...that's about it. Told you I'd calm it down a notch.**

**By the way, Gazini isn't actually forty. Azure was just trying to shrug off the question as quickly as possible (it didn't work, as you can tell). He's more in his late twenties to early thirties. He's still pretty young. **

**Also, I have one chapter left in my RWBY fanfiction collaboration project, 'The Candidates', which I'll try to finish tonight. Unfortunately, I won't be posting it for a while (most likely) as I still need to edit the entire thing and potentially will have to wait until the due date to publish it with the collaboration, and then to my account. I'll check and see if the host of the project is fine with me posting early, just to be certain. **

**Anyways, that's about it. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	55. Azure II Chapter 5

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**So, RWBY volume 3 finally started. I just finished the first episode...and I wasn't impressed. Although it looked nicer, everything else felt like it was lacking. If you want a full review then message me (I'm assuming that none of you do, but I'm more than happy to share my thoughts either way). **

**I really haven't written in a while, but I did write another HellFall chapter the other day, so that's good. I really need to get back to this, considering I only have a few more already-written chapters to release. **

* * *

That night I lay awake, staring up at the ceiling. My hair was damp from my shower and brushed lightly against my cheeks as I tilted my head. Finally I sat up, unable to sleep. I stood up off my bed and turned, looking over at my mirror. I was dressed in my long grey shirt that stretched all the way down to my knees. The neck hole was too big too, causing it hang over my arm and reveal my bare shoulder. I didn't wear any bottoms other than underwear.

Sighing, I slipped into my black slippers and walked out the door into the dark hallway. Going downstairs I saw that the television was on, and Octavia was watching. I snuck into the kitchen, pouring myself a tall glass of milk and joining her on the couch.

She looked over at me and smiled.

"Can't sleep?" She asked.

I shook my head as I sipped my milk, "Nay" I replied.

She smirked, nodding, "Same here"

We stared at the flashing screen for a few seconds.

"What's up?" She asked, turning to me. Her voice let on that she was looking for something specifically.

"I'm not sure about this." I replied, "About the military thing"

She nodded, "Keeping you up?" She asked.

"Yeah," I replied, "I'm not sure how keen I am on it"

"Why the change of heart?"

"I mean, Gazini, the guy, murdered Trask." I paused to look at the hole in my hand, which I'd long since healed. "And I helped. It feels wrong"

Octavia nodded, her face showing clear understanding.

"I know it's what we've been trying to do all this time but," I paused, searching for the right words to say, "I don't know if I'm up for it"

"I get it." Octavia said, "Grimm are one thing, people are totally different. Trust me, the first time I killed someone I gave up hunting for a few months. But it's something you need to get used to. It's in the fine print of the fine print of the job description of being a huntress. Occasionally it happens. Why? Because we live in a corrupt world, full of corrupt people, like Rocco and the White Fang"

"I know." I replied, sipping my milk again, "I don't know if I want to get used to it though"

"No one does." She replied, "But there's no such thing as a job where everything is great all the time. There's always going to be something that sucks. This is that thing. That and dying yourself"

I smiled, "Right" I replied.

"Basically Azure, you're not wrong to feel this way. You're in the right. But it's all part of the job, so it's just something to need to learn to cope with"

I nodded, sipping my milk again.

"So how're you feeling about this military thing then?" She asked.

I shrugged, "I don't know." I replied, "I mean, we're pursuing now just Sheng for personal reasons. I'm not sure how happy the military would be about that"

Octavia nodded, "Right." She replied, "I thought that too. Maybe not. For now, at least"

"Sounds good." I replied, "I should probably contact Gazini then"

"You got his contact info?" She asked, suddenly louder, "Man, and I thought you weren't into him!"

I smiled, "No, no," I replied, "He gave it to me so that I'd be able to inform him of-"

"Whether or not you're into him!" She cut me off, "Wow, you're like half his age. That's pretty inappropriate"

"Age is just a number when you're in a relationship" I replied, quoting her. I didn't exactly agree with the statement myself, but I hoped it would shut her up.

She laughed, "Right, right" She said.

As we calmed down we started watching the television again.

"So what show is this?" I asked.

"The Snow Owl." She replied, "It's just some lame superhero show"

I watched it for a little bit, "Seems kinda cool" I said.

"Superheroes aren't my thing, you know?" She said.

"Oh no, I get you." I replied, "They really don't seem that super either, considering there are people out there who do that for a living. He's just a volunteer huntsman"

Octavia snickered.

I smiled, glancing over at her before returning my gaze to the television. As the show and late night commercials dragged on I eventually found my head fall onto Octavia's shoulder, where I fell asleep.

* * *

I awoke in my bed the next morning. My eyes felt drowsy with sleep, and I yawned. Sitting up and rubbing my eyes, I looked around, my eyes adjusting to the sliver of light shining through the window blinds. I stretched and scratched my back before standing. I was still wearing my slippers, so I just walked downstairs.

"Look who's finally up" Nello said as he made breakfast. He wore a white apron and purple knitted oven mittens.

"Morning" I said, seeing that the television was on again and Octavia was watching. Xeyrus was sitting in a papasan chair and knitting, as he often did. "What're you making this morning?" I asked him.

"Same sweater as yesterday" He replied, not taking his eyes off the needles and string.

I nodded, "Nice" I said, going to stand behind Octavia.

"Didja notice?" She asked, not turning.

"Notice what?" I asked.

"I brought you back up to your bedroom" She replied.

"Oh yeah, 'course" I replied, smiling.

"Good to hear" She said with a snicker.

"Alright ladies," Nello announced, appearing in the living room, "and gent." He added, looking over at Xeyrus, who didn't even acknowledge him. "I've prepared some lovely easy-over eggs, fluffy pancakes, and juicy sausage"

"Ooh," I said, standing and heading to the kitchen. It was all laid out before us on the counter with four plates stacked next to it, "Don't mind if I do" I took and plate and started to fill it up. Octavia followed. Xeyrus stayed where he was.

"Xeyrus," Nello said, "Come have something to eat"

He kept knitting for a second, then broke his focus and stood, taking and plate and some food. Nello took it last, as usual, and joined us on the couch.

"So," he started, "what's the plan with the military?"

"I've missed something" Xeyrus said, looking up from his food.

I quickly told him what had happened.

"No," was his immediate answer, "that'd destroy any pride we still have"

"We've got plenty of pride." Octavia pointed out, "We're a formidable group, and we've got pride to share"

"Whatever." Xeyrus said, "Either way, it'd destroy all our dignity to accept the help of them"

"So his vote is clear" Nello said.

"We talked about it last night." Octavia started, "We're pursuing Sheng for personal reasons, and I don't think that the military'd be too happy about that"

Nello nodded, "Right." He replied, "So I guess it's settled then"

"What do you think Nello?" I asked.

He shrugged, "I mean," he started, "it'd be convenient to have information, sure, but I definitely agree with you guys. Xeyrus not so much. At least it's not nearly as important to me"

"So no military?" I asked, looking over everyone, each of whom nodded. "Alright. Well that's settled."

* * *

**So there you have it. A little shorter than usual, less productive. But I can't cram action and plot into every chapter, we need to settle down once in a while and hang out with the characters. **

**Quick announcement: I finished 'The Candidates' now, which is the backstory of Dennis Soldier. I still need to edit it, but I'll leave it alone for now. Unfortunately, the guy hosting the RWBY fanfiction collaboration (The Candidates is my contribution to it) has denied me permission to release it early, so you'll all have to wait until the end of January 2016. If I could, I'd be releasing it next month or something, but that won't be happening. I'll remind you guys when it does come out though. **

**Anyways, not a whole lot to say today. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	56. Grey II Chapter 1

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**In case you didn`t notice, this is a Grey chapter. And not only that, it`s the first Grey chapter ever! It`s pretty exciting to me because I haven`t really gone into his character all that much, considering he wasn`t really around for part one. He`s an interesting character though, and I hope you guys like him as much as I do. Fun Fact: his weapon, ShoGun, is my favorite of all the weapons I`ve created (I`ve created over fifty probably).**

**Also, I saw the new episode and I was quite surprised. One of the characters actually had a fancier version of a weapon that I`ve created. It`s not one that has actually been in HellFall yet, but I was surprised to see that Rooster Teeth and I were thinking somewhat similarly. The weapon was the gold staff that could create tornadoes. It was used during the fight with SSSN. The design and powers it had were very similar to that of the one I created, with a few small differences.  
**

**Anyways, on with the chapter!**

* * *

I swung my blade backwards, so that it lined up vertically with my back, and deflected an incoming attack from Wintanweorth's silver blade. I twisted around, pulling my blade away abruptly and sending him staggering backwards. Catching myself on one foot, I shoved myself forward, throwing an uppercut attack towards him. I caught my blade before his chin, drawing only a small amount of blood.

He stared at me evenly, then smiled. "You are amazing, Roy." He laughed, "I have no idea how you do it"

Drawing my blade back, I simply said, "Thank you."

"Aw come on," Wintanweorth said, taking a step towards me, "what's your secret?"

"I was well trained" I replied.

"That's boring." He said, "Come on, what academy did you attend?"

I paused to think. I hadn't attended any academy, nor did I know they existed. "I didn't attend any academy" I replied.

"What?" He asked, "No way! Who trained you?"

Again, I didn't know. "I don't remember his name"

"Surely you couldn't forget the man who trained you to do _that_?" He asked.

I shook my head, "I've no idea who could have" I replied, knowing full-well that there was no trainer.

"It's a shame." He said, "I'd have liked to meet a man of his stature"

Wintanweorth turned as the door creaked open.

"Hey, your back" He said.

I turned, seeing Grizzly and Ember returning from their trip to 'A Simple Wok' to retrieve a takeout meal for everyone.

"Hey!" Grizzly called back.

We all sat down in the center of the large metal shed. It was abandoned, so we didn't think anyone would mind if we used it for training.

The food was handed out to each of us, except for me.

"You sure you don't want anything?" Grizzly asked me, "We brought you something, just in case"

"No thanks." I replied, "I ate a big breakfast"

"What's your deal?" Ember asked, "Do you fast all day or something? You some hardcore religious dude or something?"

I shook my head, "No," I replied, "I don't have a religion. I'm just not hungry"

"Some big breakfast." Wintanweorth said, stirring his bowl of noodles, "You fight like crazy. You'd need to eat a heck of a lot every morning not to need more energy. Seriously, have you seen this guy fight?" He turned to our other two team members.

"Yes." Ember replied, "We've trained for more than just today, remember?"

"It's still crazy." He said, "Especially considering he didn't attend an academy"

"Wait what?" Grizzly asked, noodles hanging from his mouth and turning to me, "How does a huntsman become a huntsman without attending an academy?"

"It's hardly an official job, Grizzly." Ember pointed out, "Hunters take jobs from 'Help Wanted' ads. Usually there's a central hub to receive them in every city"

"Really?" He asked, slurping his noodles and staring intently at Ember.

"That's a little disturbing." She replied, watching him as his lips stretched out to reach further along the noodles. "But yes, that's how it works. There are official positions where an academy certificate is required or you can be hired by someone, but generally most people find the ads"

"Or you can be like me and work in an office or somewhere less hostile" Wintanweorth put in.

"Or you can be a loser like Wintanweorth" Ember corrected him.

He smiled, slurping some more of his noodles. He understood and accepted it.

"When're we going to fighting again by the way?" I asked.

"Round two is coming to a close, most likely today." Wintanweorth replied, "So chances are we'll be fighting tomorrow"

"Really?" Grizzly asked for the second time since we sat down, "Wow, so soon"

"We got a few training days in." Wintanweorth replied, "I'd say we did good"

"Maybe we should rest for a bit today." Grizzly suggested, "Just so that we're not exhausted for tomorrow"

"As much as I like that idea," Wintanweorth started, "We'll still be getting around ten hours of sleep tonight, which is enough to get rid of any exhaustion"

"What if we can't sleep because we're so excited?" Grizzly suggested.

"Then take some Zed-Quill." He replied, "That's what I do every night"

"But that's cheating"

"Cheating at sleeping?"

"Yeah"

Wintanweorth sighed, then returned to his noodles.

As everyone finished up their lunches we stood and got ready to go into another training exercise.

Just an hour before dinner we ended, Wintanweorth announcing that he'd take Grizzly up on his suggestion and end early.

Shutting the doors on the shed, we separated into two groups; Ember and Wintanweorth, Grizzly and I.

"Hey Roy," Grizzly started as we walked, "How does your sheath work? I've never understood it"

"My sheath?" I asked, "It's attached to my spine. It looks like I'm putting ShoGun into my back, doesn't it?"

He nodded, "Yeah, it kinda does." He replied, "So does it go under your skin or over?"

"Under" I replied.

"Why?" He asked.

I shrugged, "That way it's always there" I replied.

"Isn't it uncomfortable though?"

"How do you mean?"

"Well it's, like, perfectly vertical. Your head rests against the hilt"

"No," I replied, "I've gotten used to it"

"Oh" He replied. We reached the bus stop and waited. The bus soon arrived, and we hopped on.

We held onto the poles scattered about the bus that were meant to substitute for when there weren't any seats left. The bus drove smoothly, like every vehicle in Atlas. For some reason we didn't talk. Grizzly was usually the one to initiate conversation, but not today.

"You okay?" I asked him.

He looked up, "Hm?" He asked, "Oh, yeah, mostly"

"What's up?" I asked.

"I'm just a little worried about tomorrow," He replied, "you know?"

"I get it" I replied. I didn't.

"I'm still stoked, but you know," he continued, "excitement and anxiety go hand in hand"

"Right" I replied, not quite understanding.

The bus pulled up to his stop, and he hopped off.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He said, looking at me, "Let's kick those guys' butts!" He clenched his fist as the doors closed. I saw him run off down the street through the door's windows. My eyes followed him for a bit, before someone's voice caught my attention.

"Hey." A deep voiced man said. I turned. The man had deep blue hair that was slicked to the right side, with the other side being mostly shaven. His skin was white and his eyes were light brown. "You know that kid?"

"What's it to you?" I replied.

He shrugged, "Just wondering" He replied.

I paused for a second, then turned back around.

"Well?" He persisted.

"Are you deaf?" I asked, without turning.

I felt a hand grab my shoulder. My hand instinctively flew to his and tore it off. I spun my whole body around, finding myself staring up into his eyes. A few people gasped around us.

"It's just a question" He said, staring down at me, his eyes unblinking.

I stared up at him, not responding.

He stared for a while, then backed up.

_"__Foggy Cove up ahead"_ The bus driver's voice came over the intercom.

I kept my gaze fixed on him, and he returned the favor. The doors slid open, and I stepped out.

"People are looking for him." The man said. I didn't turn. "Aren't you worried?"

"He can take care of himself" I replied, stepping onto the pavement sidewalk.

He smirked.

I turned, "What was that?" I asked. The door started to close, but I caught it.

"Do you really think a kid like him could defend himself?" He asked, coming closer to me.

_"__Please let the doors close sir,"_ The bus driver announced, _"We're on a schedule"_

"Let the door go" The blue-haired man said.

I stared at him, feeling my innards heating up a little, but quickly let go. The door slid closed, and the bus continued on its way. I watched it go, seeing the man go back and sit down in his seat. His eyes turned to watch me, and I saw him smile.

_He's trouble_, I thought, drawing my scroll to contact Grizzly. Whether he was lying or not, Grizzly needed to know.

* * *

**So there you have it. More on Roy and his ability to fight, his past, his diet, his weapon, and his personality. What do you guys think of him? Yay? Nay? Eh? **

**Also, blue-haired man. What's his deal? I'm sure some of you could figure it out, but for you others you aren't supposed to really know who he is quite yet. Still, your allowed to make predictions so go right ahead. Tell me who you think he is in a review. **

**One quick question, for those of you who like to review, which color do you think I should write about next? So far I haven't done Violet II, White II, or Orange II. I'm having a bit of trouble deciding. Tell me which one you'd want in a review (I feel like I'm advertising reviews way more this time). **

**Since I hadn't written in a while when I went back to it I made Ember never say anything, and wanted to make her more like a the quiet character of the series. But this chapter clearly proves that she can be quite talkative, which I think I like more than the silent, mysterious Ember, so it looks like I've got to go back and change some things. **

**Anyways, as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	57. Grey II Chapter 2

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**So new episode came out yesterday, right? Wrong. Apparently there was some stuff happening during the Rooster Teeth live stream or something that had to do with RWBY, which I think is a really stupid idea considering not everyone watches live streams, let alone Rooster Teeth for anything other than RWBY. That's all I care about with RT anyway. I'm not interested in listening to them cuss for who knows how long just to get a bit of RWBY talk or World of Remnant or something. So far they haven't even posted the supposed World of Remnant episode though, which is pretty dumb if you ask me. But anyways, angry rant over, GIVE US WHAT WE'RE NOT PAYING FOR BUT EXPECTING ROOSTER TEETH, COME ON!**

* * *

As I neared home it began to rain, hard. I saw lightning in the distance, and heard thunder. I started to run, but quickly stopped as I was unable to see more than two feet in front of me.

Ahead of me I saw a tall figure in the distance. The rain parted before in a straight path, revealing the man from the bus. He wore a white jacket with a dark blue trim and tall collar which was pulled up to his ears. On his lower body were dark blue skinny jeans and sneakers.

Looking up, I saw the rain falling all around me, yet nowhere on this dry path before me, or on the man.

"Who are you?!" I called, rainwater spewing from my mouth as I spoke.

His hands were tucked into his pockets and his back slouched. His leisurely position didn't change.

"What's going on?" I asked.

He didn't reply.

I reached up to the handle of ShoGun, which towered above my head. Before my hand could grasp it the man disappeared, whether he ran or the rain enveloped him I didn't know. Either way, I knew he was still here. The dry path before him had disappeared.

I drew ShoGun and spun around. No one was there. At least at couldn't see anyone. The rain picked up, obstructing my vision even more. Spinning around, I saw nothing but the heavy rain that surrounded me.

Tracing my feet along the ground and spinning, I made sure that I was seeing everything that I could see. The heavy rain made it hard to hear, as well as made it difficult to see. It was inconvenient for me, but the same was for him. I listened for the slightest of disturbances. That seemed to be my only hope.

I heard light shuffling and spun, raising my blade. A man appeared in the air, hands raised above his head. Without a second thought I swung, slicing him clean in half. Blood spilled out and washed away with the rain.

Suddenly I heard a breath and spun, seeing another man charging, dagger in hand. I swung, his knife coming up and deflecting the blow. My knee came up and smashed into his jaw, sending him falling backwards. As he fell I swung, barely catching his neck and decapitating him.

The rain let up on my neck, and I spun, seeing the blue-haired man walking towards me, a dry patch surrounding him. He appeared to be controlling where the rain fell. _His semblance perhaps?_ I thought.

"Not surprised." He said, looking down at the two mutilated bodies, "Too bad"

I swung my blade at him before he'd even finished. His hands came out from his pockets, revealing square-shaped golden rings that covered his knuckles like square plates. ShoGun stopped at his rings, which didn't surprise me at all.

He stepped back, out of my view. I kept ShoGun gripped in both my hands, and faced the direction from which he'd disappeared. My eyes and ears scanned the surrounding area.

Suddenly I felt a sudden jolt to the back of the head. Stumbling forwards I quickly recovered and spun, seeing him standing with his fist outstretched. His face appeared surprised.

I threw myself forward, cutting through the rain with my blade, but nothing more. He'd vanished again.

I felt two more punches in my back, followed by one to the face as I fell. My body splashed to the ground. I felt his hands grip my collar and lift me up. I faked being unconscious.

"How do I turn you off?" He wondered aloud, feeling around my neck.

I spun myself around, dragging my blade through the air towards him. He adjusted his head, avoiding the blow with seemingly no effort.

He punched me in the face, slamming the back of my head against the wet pavement.

I kicked up my feet, throwing myself into the air and back onto my feet. By now he was gone already.

Bending the handle of ShoGun, I allowed it to take on gun mode. However, I held the handle in two hands, so that from a distance it'd still appear to be a sword. I made sure I made frequent, quick turnarounds.

Sure enough, when he appeared next I glimpsed him as I spun, caught myself, and pulled the trigger. He flew backwards, and I saw blood splatter across the sidewalk before rushing down the drain.

The rain let up, and soon disappeared completely. I saw the man lying on the ground with a bloody bruise covered in cuts where I'd shot him. Sheathing ShoGun, I turned around and left. He wasn't dead, I knew that, but he was close enough to send the message.

* * *

Back at home I stripped down to nothing and wrung out my clothing before throwing them into my dryer.

I untied my hair to let it hang out and dry. Entering my kitchen, I opened up my main cupboard and retrieved a needle with my required dosage until tomorrow morning. Filling it up, I injected it into my arm, set it back inside the cupboard and shut the doors.

I went and checked my door, making sure all six locks were closed tight before heading to bed. Pulling the blankets over my body, I shut my eyes and waited. Soon I felt myself shutting down for the night, signaling the beginning of sleep.

* * *

**So there you have it. Have you figured out who the hostile blue-haired man is yet? Yes? No? No worries, If I remember correctly the next chapter tells you anyways. **

**Also, more on Roy, and specifically his home life. Lives alone, takes drugs, never eats. Pretty sketchy if you ask me. **

**I'm going to take this chance and advertise my new facebook page, under the same name as my account here. I just started it this weekend, and I post reviews on movies, TV shows, and video games (not sure if video games will happen though). I write a fair amount of reviews on IMDb (Internet Movie Database) and I wanted to put them somewhere where people might actually read them, so here you go! Give that a like if your interested. **

**One more thing. I'm planning on starting to post an original story of mine on Fictionpress, so if you interested, check in every once in a while. I'm hoping to get the prologue and first chapter up this week perhaps. I'm under the same name, SquigglyCrunch, as I am here. **

**Anyways, that's about it. So as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	58. Grey II Chapter 3

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**So a new RWBY episode finally came out. After my tangent last week you can probably assume that I was quite happy. And the episode did not disappoint as much as the last two. Despite the fact that the fight was still nothing like those in the first two volumes, it was still cool enough to keep me interested. Unfortunately, it felt like a more fast-paced version of a Dragon Ball Z fight. The rest of the episode was good too, a nice break from all the light-heartedness of the last two episodes.**

**This chapter is a lot slower and shorter than some others, but it's important, so pay attention. And by the way there's a point where some people may be offended, but let me just assure you that it is done because it fits the character and not because I'm trying to shun some of you. **

**Anyways, on with the chapter!**

* * *

Ten hours passed without disturbance, which meant that it was time to wake up. I sat up, my eyes slowly opening and adjusting to the sunlight shining through my window. Pulling my blanket off myself, I stood and headed out to the kitchen, where I injected myself for the day.

My dryer was located on the opposite end of my kitchen. Popping it open, I pulled out my now dry clothing and slipped into them. I then adjusted my hair, tied it back with a hair elastic, and headed outside. I'd fallen asleep with ShoGun still in my back, so I didn't need to worry about grabbing it.

As I walked down the sidewalk I checked my scroll. Sure enough, round three was starting today, and team WRGE was on the list of expected participating teams.

Pocketing the device, I quickened my pace, only to remember that the tournament started after lunch. I slowed down again, wondering what to do for the day. Training crossed my mind, but I felt like that would be a waste of energy.

"I'm impressed kid" I heard a voice say. Cocking my head, I saw the man from last night, leaning against a building.

"Did you not get the message?" I asked, stopping.

"Oh I did all right." He replied, "I'm trying to compliment you buddy, take a chill pill"

I paused for a second, "Who are you?" I asked.

"Rain." He replied, "Rain Fall. I'm sure you've heard the name before"

"Doesn't ring a bell" I replied.

"Really?" He asked, "It's pretty popular. Where're you from, Sho?"

"How do you know my name?" I demanded without hesitation.

"Chill, bro," He said, "You're in the tournament. I'm a fan"

"If you were a fan you wouldn't have tried to kill me last night" I pointed out.

Rain smiled, "Got me there" He said.

"What do you want with me?" I asked.

"Relax, bud, you don't need to-" He started.

"I asked you a question" I interrupted.

He shrugged, "I dunno man," he replied, "just something about you that yells 'trouble'! You know?"

"Answer the question" I said, reaching for ShoGun.

"You wouldn't cut down a man in broad daylight, would you?" He asked.

"For you I might make an exception" I replied.

"Well," he said, sounding impressed, "you've got me all figured out, haven't you?"

I lowered my hand back to my side, keeping my gaze with him even.

He snickered, "'Atta boy" He said.

I glared at him.

"Is that a death stare?" He asked, "Because honestly, I can't tell. Your face hasn't changed at all since I first met you. Do you gamble? Because you have the best poker face I've ever seen"

"Listen here punk," I said, under my breath but loud enough for him to hear, "I've got my eye on you. Try something like last night again, and I'll rip your damn head off and mount it on my wall. Got it?"

"What an honor" He smiled.

Forcing myself not to punch him, I kept walking. I felt his gaze on me as I walked, but I didn't look back.

Quite a ways down the sidewalk I saw Grizzly and a pink-haired woman leaving a house which I assumed to be his.

He turned and waved when he saw me, "Roy!" He called, "Over here!"

I waved and quickened my pace. Once I'd caught up with him I slowed down.

"Are you excited for today?" He asked.

"I guess so" I replied.

"Aw, come on, Roy!" He said, "Cheer up a little!"

"Have you ever heard of a fellow who calls himself Rain Fall?" I asked.

"You just destroyed the positive atmosphere I was trying to create" Grizzly said, his face suddenly switching to a frown.

"Sorry," I replied, "Have you though?"

"Not the name Rain, but Fall is definitely familiar" He replied.

"What happened with him?" I asked.

"Not him," He corrected, "her. Cinder Fall once involved herself with the White Fang and lots of bad stuff happened. A bunch of students from Beacon Academy ended up stopping her though"

"Okay," I said, "I'm a little lost"

"There's not much else to it." The pink woman said, whom I hadn't even realized was still following us, "No one really knows what Cinder was trying to accomplish, she eventually just kind of disappeared after several hunters-in-training at Beacon got involved in trying to stop her." She paused for a second, "Did you hear the name recently?"

"Just this morning." I replied, "Rain Fall confronted me after trying to kill me last night"

"Well that's a dead giveaway." She said, "Chances are he's related to Cinder. You should probably report this"

"Who are you exactly?" I asked bluntly.

"Oh sorry," She said, holding out her hand as we walked, "Nicole Rozovyy. I'm Grizzly's caretaker while the tournament is going"

"I see." I said, shaking her hand, "Roy Sho"

"I assume you're one of Grizzly teammates?" She asked.

"You are correct in assuming so" I replied.

"Okay." She said, "So you fought off this Rain Fall last night?"

"Correct" I replied.

"Well it's good to know Grizzly's in powerful hands" She said.

I didn't know what she meant. I wasn't holding onto Grizzly. I glanced over at him, wondering if there would be muscular hands hanging onto him. There weren't any.

"So where're you headed this morning?" Nicole asked me.

"Nowhere." I replied, "I forgot that the tournament started after lunch today"

"Hey, you should join us!" Grizzly suggested.

"Where're you going?" I asked Nicole.

"I'm going grocery shopping," She replied, "Grizzly just wants to join for the free snacks set up around the store. I don't want to waste your time though; you should probably head to the police station to make the report"

"I haven't anything else to do." I replied, "Other than the report. That shouldn't take long though"

"Okay" She said, as if she knew that I'd be disappointed but decided to let me learn that myself.

Once we reached the store Nicole grabbed a shopping cart and started to move down a seemingly memorized path. She didn't waste time looking for her groceries, she knew exactly where everything she needed was.

Occasionally we stopped when Grizzly wanted to try one of the snacks set up around the store to allow us to taste the food they sold in the hopes that we'd buy them. Grizzly tried to feed me the snacks, but I always refused them.

"Do you really think you should be bothering your father like that?" The snack person would often ask.

"We're not related" was always what I said before moving along, leaving behind the shocked faces of those serving the food.

In one of the far sides of the massive store there was make-up, and Nicole spent only a bit of time there, picking out large amounts of it.

"Why do you wear make-up?" I asked. I had no idea why anyone would.

"So that I look better" She replied.

"Oh." I said, "But isn't natural beauty better?"

"It's less expensive, yes." She replied, "Not everyone is gifted with it, unfortunately"

"So you'd rather live your life behind a mask?" I asked, "Isn't that considered lying?"

She froze in place, clearly taking what I'd said into consideration. "Sometimes it's better to tell a small lie over a big truth that may hurt those that you love" She finally said, sounding offended.

"Okay" I said simply, not quite understanding but accepting it either way.

After returning the shopping cart and piling everything into bags, we headed home. We didn't take the bus for some reason, and instead walked. "It's easier for someone to snag something of yours from one of your bags on a bus than if you walked on the open street" Was Nicole's answer when I asked why.

"Don't you have somewhere to go?" Nicole asked after we reached her house, "Something to report maybe?" She sounded a little annoyed.

"I do." I replied, setting the bags on her doorstep, "I'll be going then. Thanks for allowing me to come along"

"No problem" She said, opening her door and heading inside.

"See you at the arena!" Grizzly said, following the pink woman inside.

"See you" I said, turning around and heading for the police station.

* * *

**So there you have it. Blue-haired man=Rain Fall. Sound familiar? It really should...I think. I haven't read the previous chapters in a while, but I'm quite certain that his name was mentioned a few times. Either way, now you know. **

**The potentially offensive part was the conversation about make-up that Roy had with Nicole. I'm not trying to shun those of you who wear lot's of make-up, it just fit Roy's character and I also wanted Nicole to say what she did. **

**Recently I've started thinking a lot more about the climax of Part 2. How it'll play out, who will fight who, where it'll be, all that good stuff. No, we are not getting incredibly close to the climax, but we are getting closer, and the story is moving a lot faster than I thought it would when I first started Part 2. I'm super excited for some of the match-ups that I have planned, and I hope that all of you are too. **

**Also, I just started an original story on Fictionpress! If you aren't already following me there, then you should. It's titled 'The Pumpkin Carver' and its a mystery/thriller/drama sort of thing. It's my first time with that genre and I'm hoping that it goes well. If your interested then check it out! (and in case I need to repeat myself I'm under the same name, SquigglyCrunch, on Fictionpress)**

**Anyways, that's about it, so as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	59. Grey II Chapter 4

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**This one's coming out a bit later than I expected, but that's fine. I just watched a movie, so I didn't have much time until now, plus homework and all that good stuff. Unfortunately the movie wasn't any good, so it was kind of just a waste of time. But oh well, you win some, you lose some I guess**

**Anyways, this chapter is a bit longer, but I hope you enjoy it! **

* * *

Opening the double glass doors to the police station, I saw that there was a short line-up in front of me. It appeared to only have two people, so I stood behind them and waited.

The man in front of me turned and looked me over, "What're you in for?" He asked, snickering a little as he said it.

"I have a crime to report" I replied.

"What kind of crime?" The man asked.

"Why is it so important to you?" I asked.

"Jeez, don't get your shorts in a knot about it. It was just a question" He said, turning back around.

I thought for a second, looking down at my dark grey pants, "I'm not wearing shorts." I pointed out, "So that statement really doesn't mean anything"

"It's just an expression" The man said simply.

"It doesn't really make any sense." I pointed out, "How does one tie an effective knot in their shorts? Their called shorts for a reason, because their short and-"

"Will you shut up?" The man asked, turning back around, "Seriously, what's wrong with you?"

"I'm just struggling to understand your nonsensical 'expression' as you called it" I replied.

The man just sighed, "It just means 'don't get so uptight about it'. Jeez" He explained.

I paused to think for a second, "Oh," I said, "I see. Thank you for clearing that up"

"Don't mention it" he said.

I hesitated, "But I already did" I pointed out.

The man sighed heavily, then turned back around, "Who are you?" He asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said, holding out my hand, "Roy Sho. And you?"

"Inspector Al Simms" He replied.

"Oh," I said, "so you work here?"

"Yes"

"So I guess I could report the crime right to you then?"

"You could," he replied, "but it'd be best if you stayed here to give us details"

"It's not that complicated though," I pointed out, "Some guy and his goonies jumped me last night so I beat the crap out of them"

"Why didn't you call us?" He asked.

"Sorry," I said, "the police weren't exactly on my mind when I was fighting for my life"

"By your blade," He started, looking over my head at ShoGun, "I can tell you're a huntsman. How hard was it to defend yourself against a couple of hoods?"

"If these guys were hoods, they were good at fighting, but not so much at blocking the rain." I said, "The ringleader better than the rest at least"

Al pulled me out of the line, "Looks like we may be holding people up," He said. "Who was-?"

I cut him off, "Won't you lose your place in line?" I asked.

"Oh, that doesn't matter," he said, "I work here, I can cut in line whenever I want"

"Isn't that kind of really mean?" I asked.

"I was just waiting in line to hit on the lady at the desk, it doesn't matter." He said, glancing over at her, "Now, who was this ringleader? Do you know?"

"Yeah," I replied, "I talked to him just this morning. He calls himself Rain Fall. Apparently he's pretty popular"

Al's face was suddenly shocked, "Fall?" He asked.

"Yeah." I replied, "Apparently he has some connection to some Cinder Fall or something. I don't really know who she is though"

Al turned and headed towards a door just to the right of the front desk.

"Wait here" he told me, disappearing behind the door.

I stood and waited for a while, and eventually he did return.

"Where did you see him this morning?" He asked.

"Just down by my house." I replied, "By Foggy Cove Street. Why, is he somebody we should be worried about?"

"Very much" He replied.

"Really?" I asked, "'Cause I actually beat him last night. He was pretty dumb"

"It's more the rest of his family that I'm worried about then" He said, starting towards the door again.

"Should I wait?" I asked.

"No," he replied, "you can go. Unless there's anything else you think you should say"

I shook my head, "I don't believe there is" I replied.

"Then have a good day Mr. Sho"

I turned around and left the station. Whatever was going on was clearly a big deal. Glancing at my scroll, I saw that lunch was quickly approaching, which meant that the tournament was just about another hour away.

_What to do?_ I wondered as I walked down the street. _Maybe I could check and see if Rain is still around. _

As I reached Foggy Cove Street, I saw that he certainly wasn't leaning against the same wall as before, as expected. I had been gone a while, so any normal person would've left by now.

I decided to head into my house, just to sit down or something. I was just killing time at this point.

Inside my house I found things to be just a little bit off. My cupboard of daily injections was wide open, and some of my drugs had been removed.

"What's this, Roy my boy?" Someone asked from behind me.

I spun around, drawing ShoGun as I did so.

"Don't be so feisty," the man said. It was Rain Fall, "it was just a simple question"

"What are you doing in my house?" I demanded.

"Oh," he said, "tough guy eh? No worries. I'm just investigating. What are these drugs, dear friend? What kind of circus do you run here?" He smiled, waving around a needle full of my daily dosage.

"You better put that back or you'll be in for a world of pain" I threatened.

"Is that a threat?" He asked.

"Was it not obvious?" I asked, "Do you need me to say 'I'm threatening to kill you if you don't do as I say'?"

He smiled, "Much better" He said.

I suddenly felt a hard hit to the back of my head. I spun around, swinging ShoGun with me. I felt it slice through flesh and bone. The body I'd cut was that of a tall man in a long black cloak. Only his eyes were visible.

The man grabbed my blade and yanked it out, ripping it from my hands in the process. He tossed it aside and stared me down.

"Interesting, isn't he?" Rain asked, "He's a perfect soldier. A Heishi, as we call them"

I turned to face Rain again, "_We_?" I asked.

He smiled, "So," he said, "you caught onto that quick, didn't you?"

There was a brief moment of silence.

"I'm intrigued, Mr. Sho," Rain started, "Drugs and needles are the only things in your cupboards. It almost as if you don't need to eat. And, you seem to be so unusually difficult to knock out, almost as if you're invincible." He took a step towards me, "What's your secret?" He asked, "Are you even human?"

"What are you trying to imply?" I asked.

Rain shrugged, "I'm just theorizing." He replied, "What are you, Mr. Sho? Will you tell me?"

"Why's it so important all of a sudden?" I asked.

He shrugged again, "I'm just curious" he replied.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave my house" I said without hesitation.

"I'm going to have to refuse that request, Mr. Sho"

"Let me rephrase that. Get out of my damn house or I will gut you"

Rain snickered, "Try me" he said.

I threw my fist at him as he finished his sentence. He adjusted his head slightly, avoiding the blow. I felt the ground below me shuffle, and spun around, punching the charging Heishi in the chest. He stumbled backwards. I leapt forward and threw out my hand, fingers straight out, and stuck them into his gut. Ripping him open with my hands, I threw him to the ground and spun around. Rain had ShoGun.

"Wasn't the promise to me?" He asked.

"I'm just taking out the trash" I replied.

"Nice one-liner"

"I'm stating the truth" I replied, charging towards him. He swung ShoGun. My arm came up, punching the blade so that it twisted and the side of the blade smacked my forearm. My knee came up, connecting with his gut and sending him flying backwards. He crashed into the kitchen counter. I heard his back crack.

"You're pretty good" He said.

"I already beat you once." I pointed out, "Now I just have to kill you"

"You say that as if they're the same thing"

"No," I replied, "I just have to rip your heart out this time"

I charged towards him. He swung out ShoGun again, this time going for an uppercut. I slapped it away with the top of my hand and punched him hard in the gut. He slammed back into the counter.

"You really suck at fighting, don't you?" I asked.

He smiled, blood dripping from his lips. "Do I?" He asked, "Sorry, I'm just getting the juices flowing"

He stood, tossing ShoGun aside. He threw his fist. I saw his knee coming up at the same time. There wasn't enough power in his fist, so I knew he didn't plan on hitting me. I caught his knee and punched him in his exposed side.

"Better" I said.

He looked up at me, the blood dripping from his mouth more quickly. I grabbed his shirt collar and lifted him into the air.

"Like I said." He started, "Just getting the juices flowing"

All of a sudden he spun, ripping himself free of my attack. In an instant he was behind me. I spun around, knowing that of all places he'd be there. I reached up, blocking his first punch with my forearm. He threw several punches and kicks, as did I. We were evenly matched for only a few seconds, as he seemed to get better with each blow.

"Can you feel them?" Rain asked, "The juices?"

"They're flowing" I replied simply, not allowing my mind to stray from the task at hand.

"What happened to gutting me?" He asked, throwing a hard punch into my gut. I stumbled backwards, "Huh?" He asked, punching me in the chin. I fell backwards onto the ground. He pressed his foot into my chest, "Stay down, Mr. Sho. It's better that way"

I looked up at him, trying to find a way to beat him. He was obviously much stronger than I'd originally thought.

My scroll rang in my pocket.

"You going to get that?" He asked.

"If you'll allow me" I replied.

He shrugged, as if thinking, "I suppose so" He said.

I reached into my pocket and answered the call. "Hello?" I asked.

"Why aren't you here yet?" Wintanweorth's irritated voice asked, "The tournament's going to be starting back up soon, and we need you here to figure out how we're going to go about this"

"Sorry," I said, glancing up at Rain, who was shaking his head, "I'm just having a bit of trouble getting out right now"

"Well hurry up, will you?" He asked, then hung up.

"What a jerk." Rain said, "Honestly, is he your friend?"

"He's part of my team," I replied, "and I'm going to be late for the tournament at this rate"

"What a shame"

Neither of us moved. I needed to get out of here, as soon as possible.

"What do you want from me?" I finally asked, breaking the silence.

"I already asked, didn't I?" He started, "I want to know what you are"

"I'm a human." I replied, "What else do you want?"

"Why the drugs then?" He asked, "Why not any real food or drink?"

"Because those drugs contain everything I need already." I replied, "Everything for the day, at least"

"All the nutrients?" He asked, "For an entire day?"

I nodded.

"And your inability to be hurt?"

"I think the problem is with your men"

Rain laughed, "Of course." He replied, "But then again, I did hit you myself, and you didn't fall"

"Maybe it's just you"

"Shut your face"

"Maybe your juices weren't flowing yet last night"

He smiled, "I guess not" He replied.

"Are we done?" I asked, "Because I have things to do, places to be, you know. My schedule doesn't revolve around you"

"Of course not." He smiled, removing his foot from my chest and giving me a hard kick in the side. "I'm on to you"

"Right" I replied, sitting back up.

Rain cast one last look at me, then left through my door.

_That was easier than I thought it'd be_, I thought, standing and straightening my clothes. Taking a few steps and picking up ShoGun, I shut the cupboards and headed outside, towards the arena.

* * *

**So there you have it. Another fight with Rain Fall, only this time it was the opposite. Why did he let him go so easily, you may ask? I can assure that it wasn't just because I wanted Roy to go to the tournament, and it definitely isn't because Rain's a nice guy. **

**At this particular point I was going to introduce Rain's minion, but at the last minute decided to just throw a Heishi in there instead. It seemed a little excessive to throw in two powerful huntsmen at once, Roy probably wouldn't have stood a chance. I had created his minion on the spot, and had him all ready to be introduced, but changed my mind. Oh well, he'll come in eventually. **

**I'm actually running out of chapters, if you can believe it. I need to get back to work on writing. **

**Anyways, I haven't seen the new RWBY episode, so I'm going to go do that. So as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	60. Grey II Chapter 5

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Well I've had a pretty uneventful week. Not that the week has really even started yet, but I'm more referring to last week. Watched a couple movies and that's about it. Still pretty good though, nice and relaxing. **

**Anyways, this chapter is yet another fight, and a somewhat important one at that. We're finally getting back to the tournament. So please, enjoy this week's chapter!**

* * *

I had to run, just to make sure that I made it in time. Better to be thirty minutes early than five minutes late, although I knew that I wouldn't be there thirty minutes early.

When I made it there, I found Grizzly standing next to Ember, and Wintanweorth pacing back and forth, his scroll in hand.

"Hey, sorry I'm late." I said, stopping before them, "I had to deal with something first"

"What could be so important?" Wintanweorth asked, clearly frustrated.

"A home invasion perhaps?" I asked, a little annoyed. He had no way of knowing, but I was irritated nonetheless.

"Are you okay?" Grizzly asked, stepping forward, "What happened?"

"The guy, Rain Fall, from last night was inside my house when I got there"

"Did you beat him?" He asked, "Well, of course you did. You're here"

"No, I lost." I replied, "He let me go"

"You should probably report that" Wintanweorth said.

"I reported last night's attack already." I replied, "But I'll talk to Al again after the match"

"Al?" Grizzly asked.

"He's an officer I ran into at the police station." I replied, "He's the one I made the report to"

"Who did you say attacked you?" Wintanweorth asked.

"Rain Fall"

He scratched his white-haired head, "I recognize the name" He said, thinking.

"Cinder Fall" Grizzly reminded him.

Wintanweorth shook his head, "No, he said Rain Fall"

"I mean the last name" Grizzly said.

"I don't know who Cinder Fall is either." Wintanweorth said, "But I recognize Rain Fall a little"

"_Could Team WRGE please report to the arena?_" Came a rather annoyed voice over the intercom.

Wintanweorth shrugged, "We'll figure it out later" He finally said, turning and heading towards the double doors leading to the battle arena. We all followed.

"UP NEXT…" started the announcer as we opened the doors, "WE HAVE TEAM WRGE, WHO HAS MANAGED TO PULL ITSELF THROUGH TWO CLOSE VICTORIES! AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, TEAM VAIN, WHO HAS MANAGED TO BREEZE THROUGH EVERY MATCH!"

I saw that among our opponents was Grizzly's caretaker, Nicole Rozovyy. She wore the same bright pink dress she had earlier, and her hair was tied up into two ponytails on either side of her head. She held a massive silver pole in her hand. On one end was a thick one-edged blade, and on the other was a lance-blade.

The other three members I did not recognize.

"Who're the others?" I asked Grizzly. I assumed he'd know, considering he knew Nicole.

He pointed at each one, "I believe that's the leader, Veil Fairfax. Then there's Anchor Franco and Barnabas Ito"

The one he'd called Veil Fairfax wore a tight, white, sleeveless, zippered shirt and similar pants. Both had a purple trim going down the sides of the legs, around the arm-holes, and on either side of the zipper. She wore white wrist covers and white boots, both with purple trim. Her skin was pale, and freckles dotted her face. She had pink eyes and pale white-purple short hair. Her bangs were parted and some strands of hair were tucked behind her ears. It still hung out in front of her cheeks though. She had massive white wings protruding from her back, covered in feathers. In her hand she held a blue rapier. I couldn't quite make out the details of the blade from where I stood on the other side of the arena.

Anchor Franco wore a grey jacket over his bare chest, and a big dark yellow scarf around his neck. It was somewhat hard to tell that he was even shirtless. He wore jet black jeans and steel-toed brown boots. He had a dark red eye patch wrapped around his head, covering his left eye. A scuba mask covered his mouth. _We're on land, what do you need that for?_ I wondered. He had shaggy grey hair, and curving goat horns sticking out of his head. He held a chain with a massive grey anchor at the end over his shoulder, as if it was nothing. To him it probably was. _His name certainly suits him_, I thought.

Barnabas Ito wore a brown muscle shirt and a sandy-brown jacket over top. It appeared to hang off his shoulders. His legs were covered by brown cargo pants, covered with pockets. He wore a crimson colored bandana around his forehead. A black spiked collar was wrapped around his neck. His skin was tanned brown, but not nearly as dark as Wintanweorth's. His hair was just a little bit darker than his skin. It reached down to his lower neck and was shaggy in the back. In the front his bangs hung out over his bandana in the middle, but the rest of it was pushed aside. His eyes were narrow and dark orange. He held an axe in his hand, with an orange shaft and triangular blades on either side.

The two males in the team were rather intimidating, but the females just had bright and distracting clothing. Nicole's weapon was pretty intimidating too though.

We both stood on opposite ends of the arena, waiting for the battle to start.

"AND…" the announced started, "BEGIN!"

Our team charged, but VAIN started walking casually. This threw me off for a second, but by the time we reached them I'd forgotten all about it.

I reached Barnabas Ito first. He swung out his axe in an uppercut. Spinning and dodging at the same time, I swung out ShoGun. He blocked the blow as if it were nothing.

I felt a sharp kick to my back and stumbled forward. Barnabas brought up his knee, hitting me hard in the chin. I fell to the ground and lay there for a moment. These guys had taken me out immediately without even breaking a sweat.

Trying to think of a strategy, I leapt back to my feet, transforming ShoGun into a gun. Grizzly was being tossed around like he was a toy by Anchor, and Wintanweorth and Ember were back-to-back, facing Nicole and Veil. Barnabas had already turned around, as if he thought I was defeated.

I charged towards Barnabas again, firing off three blasts. The first hit him in the back of his head. He stumbled forward, but ducked and turned quickly, avoiding the other two shots. He charged towards me, axe in two hands. The blades retracted into the staff, and he gripped it where they had once been. The tip opened up, and he cocked a fore-end that I hadn't seen initially. I heard the click of a trigger as he fired off a bullet. Quickly returning ShoGun to its blade state, I dodged to the side, knowing that the bullet would explode and spray, making it impossible to block with a blade.

Barnabas altered his charge just as I swung out my blade, catching his ankles and sending him face-first into the stone ground.

He stood, weapon returned to its axe state. I approached him and swung. He swung back, and we exchanged a flurry of quick, powerful strikes. Neither of us were getting hit. Activating the vibrating blade of ShoGun, I managed to gain the upper hand. He was caught off guard, and I cut open his side. Blood spilled out, but he held on. He'd stopped long enough to glance at it. It wasn't bad, luckily. Still, he was weakened, and I managed to cut and hit him enough to send him to the ground.

Veil appeared suddenly, kicking me hard in the face. I fell backwards, but quickly recovered. I swung out ShoGun, and he stabbed her rapier forward. Sidestepping behind her, I avoided the blow and slammed my elbow into the back of her neck. She started to fall, but caught herself, swinging back up and slamming the back of her neck back into my elbow. It threw me off long enough for her to hit me with the hilt of her sword right in the gut. I lifted into the air for a second, but quickly recomposed myself.

As I straightened I found myself face to face with the tip of Veil's rapier. Looking down the blade, I saw that it was a shining dark grey. The whole weapon seemed to be made to resemble a blue dragonfly, where the blade was the tail, the wings were the guard, and the head was the pommel.

"Interesting weapon design" I said, dropping ShoGun and raising my hands in surrender.

"Thanks" she replied, pulling her weapon back to her side and turning to the rest of her team.

I saw that Ember and Wintanweorth were resting on the ground, panting. Grizzly was lying face-first on the ground.

Picking up and sheathing ShoGun, I walked over to the couple and joined them on the ground.

"Nice job Roy." Wintanweorth said between breaths, "Unfortunately you were the only one fighting in the end. Sorry"

"We all did our best." I replied, "Now we know the extent of our abilities, and can continue to improve"

"Heh," Wintanweorth gasped out a laugh, "How do you still have the breath to say that, or even to think of that?"

"I was outmatched," I replied, "but I still have energy to fight"

"Then why didn't you?"

"Because Veil had me beat." I replied, "Had it been a real fight, she'd have made a shish kabob out of my head. I knew I was beat"

"Right"

Grizzly dragged himself over to us, "Man, they're good" He panted.

"AND THE WINNER IS TEAM VAIN!" the announcer called, "WHAT AN ASTOUNDING BATTLE ON BOTH SIDES, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WRGE IS GOING TO HAVE TO THROW IN THE TOWEL THIS TIME!"

I turned and saw Team VAIN walking back to the other side of the arena, waving to the audience.

Grizzly picked himself up and walked over to the team as the audience cheered them on. He went and shook all their hands, congratulating them on their victory. We all stood and did the same.

"Good fight" I said, shaking Anchor's hand. He nodded, not saying a word.

Barnabas smiled and gripped my hand tightly, "Indeed, you were quite good"

Nicole just smiled and returned the gesture.

"You too," Veil said, "You're quite formidable, but you just need to take your time a bit more. Don't rush into the fight"

"Thanks" I replied, having no advice to offer back. Veil Fairfax was very talented, and probably didn't need it anyway.

They disappeared through the double doors on the other side, and we returned to our side.

Outside Wintanweorth heaved a sigh of relief.

"What is it?" Grizzly asked.

"I'm kind of glad that's over." He replied, "Now I can focus more on my new job"

"So this is it?" Grizzly asked, sounding a little disappointed.

The older man scratched the boy's shaggy head and opened his mouth to speak, but someone else took the words from him first.

"Not quite yet"

We turned, seeing a man with long crimson hair covering one side of his face and a heavy brown jacket.

* * *

**So there you have it. WRGE didn't make it, but they were pitted against VAIN, so what can you expect? Also, a better introduction to Nicole's team! What do you guys think? Surprised that Nicole isn't the leader? Probably not, considering the team was introduced briefly a while ago. But either way I'm curious about what you guys think of them. **

**Also, someone at the end of the chapter. I'm sure ya'll know who he is. If you don't then you might have somewhat bad memory, sorry to say. No matter, though, you'll figure it out next week. **

**I've been writing a bit more in HellFall recently, and I realized that no one has died lately. I'm not trying to hint at anything, but it was just a thought that I had. Kind of an odd thing to think about, though, now that I think about it. Thinking about a thought, how interesting. It's like Inception, or Thinkception more like (not really).**

**Anyways, as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!  
**


	61. Grey II Chapter 6

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**So I just saw the new RWBY episode. It was alright, not as good as the last one if you ask me. Honestly I feel like Rooster Teeth has just been using the tournament as filler, considering we haven't really seen any of the in between stuff that team RWBY actually does, yet everyone else is doing other stuff that seems like it would take a while so it makes you feel like there's something we just aren't seeing. The fights all seem only decent and oftentimes drawn out, especially with this most recent episode, so it all ends up feeling like their just killing time to reduce the amount of plot there has to be in this volume. Anyways, I kind of just want the tournament to end at this point so that we can get on with the story. **

**This chapter is basically a summary of all the important story bits that have happened, but it's still important to read it, as it does contain some new developments. **

**Anyways, on with the chapter!**

* * *

"Excuse me?" Wintanweorth asked, stepping forward.

"Wintanweorth Coal?" The man asked, taking a few steps towards him.

"What do you want?" Wintanweorth clearly wasn't happy.

"I've come with a request" the man continued.

"What kind of request?"

"How would you like to be part of something big?

"Big?" Wintanweorth asked, "What're you talking about? Spit it out"

"I can't reveal it to you unless you agree to participate"

"Do I get a ribbon at the end?" He asked, frustrated, "Just say it. I won't agree to something if I don't know what it is"

"Fair enough." the man replied, "The military has recently discovered that something…" he paused, as if searching for the right words, "…drastic, is about to happen. We require the assistance of skilled hunters, like you"

"Why us?" Wintanweorth asked, appearing to have calmed down for the most part. Clearly he didn't like being interrupted.

"Because you're skilled." He replied, "And our team requires skill. What do you say?"

"Assuming death is a possibility?"

"For every job there are risks." He pointed out, "Obesity in an office job, disfigurement in construction, death in hunting. You signed on to the possibility of death as soon as you picked up your blades"

"I'm not actually an official huntsman, neither is Ember"

"No?" He asked, "Well, you certainly don't show it. Either way, you did pick up those blades, did you not?"

"As a hobby" Wintanweorth replied.

"Actually I am training to be a huntsman" Grizzly put in.

"Grizzly's the odd man out." Wintanweorth said, "Besides, he's too young"

"I can assure you we planned on enlisting Grizzly Karzen as well." he replied, "Are you declining my offer, Mr. Coal?"

"I'm not declining anything." He replied, "I just want more information behind your motives and such"

"Okay," the man said, walking until he was mere feet from Wintanweorth "let me make it clear for you. There are potential threats in Remnant, and as the military it is our responsibility to take care of them, and we need help. Will you help? Yes or no?"

Wintanweorth went to stand close to his face. I could tell he was suddenly aggravated again. I couldn't see why, considering the red-haired man hadn't done anything harmful yet. Wintanweorth had to look down a little. The man was just a couple inches shorter than him.

"I'll need to discuss with my team" He replied, in a hushed voice.

"Take your time." The man said simply before backing away, "By the way, that was really uncomfortable"

"It was for me too." Wintanweorth replied, turning his back to the man and pulling us closer together. "What do you guys think?"

"I'm down" Grizzly replied without hesitation.

"Seriously?" Wintanweorth asked, "I really think you should stay home with your caretaker"

"I'm not a baby." He pointed out, "Besides, remember what happened last time a Fall showed up? She was stopped by someone my age"

"How do you know it has to do with the Falls?"

"I don't." He replied, "I'm using the Falls as an example. Although Roy did mention that one of them was back in town"

"Shouldn't you get permission from your parents?"

"They'd say no"

"Which is exactly why you shouldn't"

"It's exactly the opposite"

"How is it the opposite?"

Grizzly thought for a second, trying to put together what had just been said. "Because they'd say no"

There was a brief silence as we waited for him to continue with a more persuasive reason.

"Are you going to say anything else?" Wintanweorth asked.

"I'm in" He replied simply.

"Seriously, you need to contact your parents"

"No"

"Then I will"

"Good luck." Grizzly replied, "Look, this is what I signed up for. I was fully aware that I could die at any point from the moment I signed up for Signal, okay? This is my chance to do my job. Get some real experience, you know? You didn't even attend an academy, and look how well you've done based on experience alone?"

Wintanweorth sighed, "Fine." He decided, then turned to me, "Roy?" He asked.

I nodded, "I have nothing better to do" I replied.

"Oh come on." He sighed, "What is wrong with you people? Ember?" He turned, not even trying to talk me out of it.

"Sure" She replied.

Wintanweorth paused for a second, sighing, "Alright" he replied, turning around. The man was still there, standing quite a ways away with his back to us.

"Hey!" Wintanweorth called.

He turned and trotted over to us.

"So?" He asked.

"We're in"

He smiled and reached out to shake Wintanweorth's hand, "Welcome aboard Mr. Coal." He said, then turned to the rest of us, "Mr. Sho, Mr. Karzen, Miss Bronze. It's a pleasure to have you join us"

"Clearly you know us, who're you?" Wintanweorth asked.

"Oh, sorry," he said, clearing his throat, "I'm Gazini Void. Now, come with me"

As we started walking Wintanweorth interrogated Gazini on the details of the 'potential threat'.

"We can't discuss it in public." He would say simply, "When we get to the base I'll explain everything"

I looked around. The streets were completely empty. Everyone was watching the tournament.

"There isn't anyone around" Wintanweorth pointed out, taking the words right from my own mind.

"Do you know that for sure?" Gazini asked.

They were quiet after that. We boarded the bus and soon arrived at the Atlas military base.

As soon as we were through the doors Wintanweorth exploded with questions yet again.

"Be patient" He told him in a firm voice, clearly irritated.

He greeted the receptionist, boarded an elevator, and went down several floors.

"Where are we going now?" Wintanweorth asked.

"So many questions." Gazini muttered, "To our base of operations"

"You have a whole floor just for this?" He asked.

"The floors aren't that big" Gazini pointed out.

As we arrived at the floor I realized that he was right. The room before us was, although large for one room, wasn't huge for an entire floor. Before us was a large wooden table, the sides lined with cushioned wooden chairs. In the far corner I saw a nightstand with two stained white armchairs near it. A single lamp was placed on the nightstand. It was currently turned off. I could see a door at the end of the white room, but it was closed.

"Come with me" Gazini said, guiding us to the table and sitting down at one end. We all took a seat close to him along the sides.

"So," he started, "Clearly you're curious, so, let's get on with it" He said with a glance at Wintanweorth.

"Not long ago I came across a folder titled 'Plan H'. It was well-guarded for the most part, so naturally I investigated. I discovered that Rain Fall was involved in all this. I'm sure you all recognize the name Fall"

"I ran into him today," I interrupted, "and last night"

"Really?" Gazini asked, turning to me, "How do you know it was him?"

"He introduced himself" I replied.

"What'd he do?" He asked.

"We fought both times" I replied.

Gazini thought for a while. Wintanweorth snapped his fingers, and he looked up, "Oh, sorry." He said, "The new development is interesting. But anyways, Rain Fall.

"He disappeared before I could get anything out of him, and our translators have been working to crack the code that the folder is written in.

"We did learn that he has a team of his own. Rocco Trask and Gale Sheng. I killed Trask, but Sheng is still out there. I think that even without the folder it's obvious that there's a threat here"

There was a brief silence, "Is that it?" Wintanweorth asked.

"I believe so, yes"

"Seriously? That's what we have to go off of?"

"Oh, right." He started, "The translators think they actually tracked the code. That's a very recent development. I found a building where they once cloned humans. Or a human at least. The word 'HELLFALL' was written on the walls, as well as the phrase 'Hell shall descend upon or remains' or something. Turns out, the word HELLFALL was used to crack the code"

"How do you crack a code using a single word?" Grizzly asked.

Gazini shrugged, "They're experts. They can do that kind of stuff"

"So we'll have the folder translated soon?" I asked.

"Yes," he replied, "hopefully, at least"

"Well at least that's something" Wintanweorth said.

"Have you recruited anyone else?" Grizzly asked.

"Yes." He replied, "Team PHGG, CRDL, and RWBY. I hope none of you have any personal disputes with anyone from those three teams"

We all shook our heads.

"Good." He said, clapping his hands together, "You're all welcome to stay here as long as you want, but make sure you get outside once in a while if you do intend on living here"

"We can live here?" Grizzly asked, suddenly excited.

"Yes," Gazini replied, "we'll be providing for you and everything. Your valuable assets in this team. Now let me show you where you can stay"

He stood and turned around. We all followed. Along the wall next to the elevator were a series of doors.

"The first door leads to a small prison cell." He started, "It's empty right now, but don't go inside. Next to it is just a very large storage closet. And the last door leads to the rooms"

He opened the door with his handprint, "We'll get you registered soon" He said as he opened the door.

The hallway before us resembled that of a hotel. Dark hardwood floors, a red carpet stretching across it, and wooden doors lining the walls.

"Pretty nice, eh?" Gazini asked, walking us down, "The fourth room is reserved for you guys. We just need to register your handprints"

"I don't think I'll be staying here" I said.

"Why's that?" Grizzly asked.

"I have important things at home"

"Then bring them over" Grizzly suggested.

"It's no problem if you want to bring your own possessions along" Gazini added.

"It's too big to be transported" I said.

"Okay." He replied, "But if you change your mind, feel free to stop by"

"Thank you" I said, joining them as they reached the fourth door. Gazini used his own handprint to open it, and we stepped inside. It was a simple room with two bunk beds.

"It's not particularly spacious," Gazini stated, "but this'll primarily be a sleeping place. If you want it, of course"

Wintanweorth sat down on the right side lower bunk, "Feels comfortable." He said, "Sounds good. Thank you"

Gazini nodded, "I should be thanking you. We're happy to have you aboard."

* * *

**So there you have it. Team WRGE ain't finished yet apparently, and the folder is finally getting translated. **

**Like I said before, HellFall's progressing quicker than I expected, but that's not a bad thing. It just means that I need to squeeze in all the rest of the colors before it ends. I didn't count on this happening, but oh well. Such is life. I'll find a way to keep this part going for a while longer, don't you worry. **

**Anyways, not much to say today. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	62. Crimson II Chapter 10

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**I'm so proud of myself, I watched 9 movies last week. Probably isn't too good for me, but whatever. 'Twas fun. **

**I don't really like this chapter because it spoils a lot from my upcoming RWBY fanfiction, The Candidates (the two stories are connected). Unfortunately when I wrote The Candidates it was for a RWBY fanficion collaboration, and according to the host of it I'm not allowed to post it on my own account until the end of January, 2016, when it's due. I'm a wee bit frustrated, but oh well. It fits with the story and where it's going, so yeah. Plus The Candidates is just a back story, so you'd all have to learn about it sooner or later.**

**Anyways, this chapter has some new information, so let's get on with it!**

* * *

I sighed heavily, dropping onto the armchair in the corner. Thunder was already there, waiting and looking over some notes. He glanced up at me, "You okay?" He asked.

"This recruitment crap is exhausting" I replied.

He adjusted himself, looking me straight on, "How can it be that difficult?" He asked.

"I have to put on a happy face and be generous or accepting or whatever." I replied, "It doesn't feel right"

"Probably because you've been a jerk your entire life" He suggested.

"Shut up." I said, "Everyone has a different way of identifying a 'jerk'"

"Or you just don't know what a jerk really is"

"Can we get back to work?"

"Of course"

"So?" I started, "How're the translators going?"

"Quite well." Thunder replied, "Because of the recent discovery, they're working harder at it than ever. Looks like you gave them some motivation"

"Good to know that I'm helping." I said, "So how's Cadet been with his family?"

"We talked his wife out of divorce" He replied.

"Well that's good to hear." I said, "And Dennis?"

"Getting used to the new leg"

I nodded. Everything seemed to be going well, "What have the translators released in terms of information?"

"Pretty much everything you found, with a few extras." He replied, "The Heishi, Gale Sheng, and Rocco Trask. We do know now that both Cinder and Rain Fall are involved, however"

"So she's back"

"Yes," he replied, "and it looks like this time's she's got her brother with her"

"Did they find anything on the Heishi?" I asked.

He paused the think, "Just the name of the man cloned, Dennis Soldier, which you already know, and that he went through several trials to be chosen as the man to be cloned"

"Trials?" I asked.

"Yes." He replied, "Apparently they put five people through trials, four of which died"

"Did it say anything else about the other candidates?" I asked.

He flipped through his notes, "Yes," he replied, "I was going to look into this myself. We have their names and how they performed. There was Cerberus Witch, the first to go, Hawksbill Stars, Maud Froze, Aero Simms, and Dennis Soldier, of course. Apparently they were all exceptional, but Dennis was still the clear choice next to Cerberus, who died during the trials"

"So they were looking for the perfect soldier," I replied, thinking aloud, "so that they could create the perfect army"

"Looks that way"

I thought for a second, "I'm going to look into this" I decided.

"I think I will too." Thunder replied, "I'll see if I can track down Witch and Froze's family, maybe. You look into Simms and Stars"

"Sounds good." I said, "Anything else?"

He handed me his notes, "You can look these over" He said.

I took them and glanced at the outside of the folder. 'Plan H' was written on the front. It was rather thin, with only a few sheets of paper inside. The actual Plan H folder wasn't huge, but it was bigger than this. _There's still so much we don't know_, I thought.

"Thanks." I said, "I think I'll head home for the day"

"Alright." He said, "Have a good one"

"You too." I said, standing and turning to leave, then turning back around, "Oh, quick little bit: Roy Sho from team WRGE claims to have fought Rain Fall twice in the last two days. Maybe you could talk to him about that?"

"I'll look into it" He replied.

"Thanks" I said.

Turning back around, I started to leave. As I reached the elevator I saw Grizzly running towards me.

"Mr. Void! Mr. Void!" He called.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I just need to tell you something." He started, "Rocco Trask. My caretaker and I ran into him not long ago"

"Where?" I asked, fully turning my body to him.

"Under a building," he replied, "in a dark room"

"How dark?" I asked, remembering the cloning center that I'd been to recently myself.

"Pitch black" He replied.

"Where was this?" I asked, "What street?"

"I don't know," he replied, "the man, Heishi, kidnapped and drove us there"

"You know about the Heishi?" I asked.

"The Heishi?" He asked, "Isn't he just one guy?"

"The Heishi are clones." I replied, "It means 'soldier'. You say you ran into one?"

"Two" He replied.

"And you fought Rocco?"

He nodded.

I put my hand on my his shoulder and guided him to the elevator, "Come with me," I said, "I need to make sure we're thinking of the same building"

"Have you been there Mr. Void?" He asked.

"I believe so." I replied, "And please just call me Gazini. Formality bothers me"

"Oh, sorry Gazini"

The elevator door slid open so we stepped on and went up.

"So are you staying with us?" I asked.

"Yes" He replied.

"Great," I said, "we'll stop by your house afterwards so you can get your stuff and tell your caretaker"

"Okay"

Outside, I hopped on my moped and gestured for Grizzly to get on the back.

"I expected some big awesome car or something" He said as I started up the scooter.

"Big awesome cars are expensive," I pointed out, "I can't afford that stuff. Besides, I prefer mopeds"

I backed out and started driving down the road.

"How long have you been with the military?" Grizzly asked.

"A few weeks" I replied.

"And you've already been assigned to a case this big?" He asked.

"I'm the one who brought this to the attention of the military." I replied, "I'm not actually an employee. They just asked me to be part of it, and I accepted"

"Oh" He replied.

We arrived at the square building where Dennis Soldier had been cloned.

"Is this it?" I asked.

"Looks about right." He replied, "I'm not sure. It was at night"

I sighed and parked my moped next to the structure, "Come on" I said, getting off and heading towards the door. Grizzly followed.

Inside I took Grizzly to the far room, where the trapdoor was located.

"This is definitely the building" He said, looking around at the walls.

"Great." I replied, "Come on, let's get you home. I can come by tonight to bring you back to the base if you'd like"

"It's fine, I can walk" He replied.

"Alright." I said, heading back outside and getting back onto the moped. "So where do you live?"

"You don't know?" He asked.

"I've watched you fight," I replied, "but I haven't been stalking you like those creepy CGF people"

He smiled, "I'm just on 254 Cider Isle" He said.

"Alright" I said, starting up the scooter and entering the road. We reached Cider Isle a few minutes later, where I dropped him off.

Returning to my own home, I found that Hail Strom was in the kitchen, a cookbook set before her as she attempted to create something edible for a change.

"Afternoon Hail" I said.

She turned, "Oh hey Gaz," she said, "How was work?"

"Fine," I replied, "we have to fight again tomorrow, right?"

"Right." She replied, "You excited?"

"I guess so." I replied, "It'll be nice to take a break from all the thinking and just beat someone up"

She laughed, "Sadist"

I smiled. She wasn't completely wrong. I did enjoy fighting and overpowering others. "I don't get aroused from killing stuff, though," I said, for the sake of a joke, "Maybe you do, but I don't"

She laughed, "Aroused?" She asked, "Where'd you get that?"

"From the definition of a sadist." I replied, "Have you ever read a dictionary before? A sadist is someone who gets aroused when they see or inflict pain"

"That's messed up" She replied simply.

"I know." I said, "I'm going to head up to my room to do some more work"

"Don't hurt yourself" She said, turning back to her cooking.

"How could I get hurt?" I asked, 'It's just paperwork"

"Paper cuts"

I smiled, "Right" I replied.

"Oh, you wouldn't mind if I brought some food up later, would you?" She asked.

"Not at all" I replied, heading upstairs to my room. I'd since painted the walls dark red and brought in a desk, office chair, lamp, and wardrobe. Nothing matched, but I didn't care. This was the first time I'd actually settled down in a room since Beacon, so I wasn't exactly an expert on room design, nor did I really care that much. The red paint apparently helps keep me awake, which is good for when I'm working. When I'm trying to sleep, not so much. But I felt that work was a bit more important.

I pulled up my office chair and sat down, setting the scrawny folder on the wooden desk before me. Opening it up, I began to read.

* * *

**So there you have it. Basically just spoiled the entire ending and plot of The Candidates. Oh well, such is life. **

**As you can see, Hail is still trying to out-cook Gazini by learning how to actually cook.**

**Also, does the name Simms ring a bell? Maybe? I can't remember, but I'm pretty sure there was a Simms introduced already. You'll remember when I get to it though. Don't worry. **

**As you can see, the story is speeding along. The file is being translated, so it's only a matter of time. I already have traps set in place to keep this from ending abruptly though, so don't worry about it ending too soon. **

**And that's it. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	63. Crimson II Chapter 11

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**I know its a little early but Merry Christmas! Happy H****anukkah! Happy Ramadan! Happy Eid al-Fitr! Happy Eid'ul Adha! Happy Fiesta of our Lady Guadalupe! Happy St. Lucia Day! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy Boxing Day! Happy Three Kings Day! Happy Omisoka! Happy Yule! Happy Saturnalia! ****Happy holidays for anyone who doesn't celebrate anything but a break from life and the bitter cold of the outdoors! And if I missed anyone, have a happy whatever-else-you-celebrate-during-this-particular-time-of-the-year!**

**So I was a wee bit disappointed to see that there was no new RWBY episode. Mid-season finales/breaks are stupid if you ask me, but they happen anyways, so we just have to deal with it. It was a pretty crappy place to take a break though if you ask me, but oh well. Such is life. **

**This new chapter is pretty relaxed, so sit back and enjoy!**

* * *

There wasn't a lot of new information. More in-depth explanations of the trials and what happened in each specific one. An arena of Arachnoirs and a final battle room featuring a powerful Grimm were just a few of them. I skimmed through the first bit, hoping to find something that I didn't know. Fortunately, Thunder had summarized the first pages pretty well.

Then I saw something I didn't know. Rain Fall's semblance was written. _The ability to create and control storms_, I thought. _So? What's the significance of that?_

I heard a knock on the door. Snapping my head back, I turned, "Come in" I said, raising my voice more than I expected.

Hail stepped through, "Did I scare you?" She asked, likely surprised. She held a plate with food on it in her hands.

"Just startled me a little" I replied.

"You sure that folder is for work?" She asked, implying something that I preferred not to think about.

"Yes," I replied, "and I actually have a question, if you don't mind"

"Isn't this top-secret?"

"You guys are already signed up." I pointed out, "You'll figure this out sooner or later"

She set the plate of steaming food on the desk next to me and leaned down to look at the pages of folder.

"They write one of the Fall's semblances here," I said, "any idea why that's significant?"

"Wait," she started, "so Fall is involved?"

"Yes," I replied, "Cinder and her supposed relative, Rain. Rain's semblance is written"

"So?"

"So why would they write that?" I asked, "Why is his semblance so important that they had to write it in the folder?"

"In case they forgot?" She suggested with a smile.

"I'm being serious Hail," I said, "I don't see the significance of it. It's helpful for us, but I'm assuming that they weren't actually trying to help us out"

"Maybe his semblance is required to carry out Plan H" She suggested.

I thought for a second, "Huh," I said, "didn't think of that"

"I'm assuming you don't know the full plan yet"

"Nay." I replied, "This is just the first couple pages of the folder. It is being translated it though, so we should be getting new information every day. I guess we'll just have to wait and see"

Hail nodded, "Anything else?" She asked.

I shook my head, "No, I don't think there's much more to read." I replied, "Thanks"

"No problem" she replied, straightening and leaving the room.

As I continued reading I realized that it really didn't elaborate on why Rain's semblance was significant. _I suppose that I probably should have read ahead just in case it did say somewhere._ Assumingly the information was scattered, either because the Falls were disorganized or they wanted to confuse anyone who wasn't supposed to have it but did anyways.

The last page had more information on the Heishi. It was just a list of every model with brief descriptions. Each model appeared to be more complicated than the last.

Closing the folder, I leaned back in my chair and stretched. _I can't wait for this all to be over_, I thought, yawning, _I'm tired of working. _

Tomorrow I'd fight in the tournament, and if I felt motivated I'd look into the Stars and Simms families. Otherwise I'd take the rest of the day off.

Turning to the steaming food Hail had placed next to me, I set to work on eating it. It was messy, but didn't taste half bad, unlike everything else Hail made which was typically just all bad. She was following a recipe, which made it easier to eat.

After finishing the meal I slid the plate across my desk and stood up, only to flop down onto my bed. I stared at the ceiling, my hands under my head. _I never painted the ceiling_, I thought, _oh well. Who looks at the ceiling anyway?_ I furrowed my brow; _Clearly someone does, because I do. That previous statement made no sense_. I shook my head, clearing it of my pointless thoughts. Instead I just emptied my mind and stared.

**Line**

My eyes opened, and I looked around. I was just in my bedroom, lying on my bed. _Fell asleep, I guess_, I thought, sitting up. Rubbing my eyes and opening my mouth in a yawn, I stood and walked out my door.

Petunia sat on the living room couch, reading a book titled: '411 Ways to Peel a Carrot'. She looked up as I walked in and smiled.

"Hey" She said.

"'Morning" I said.

She looked at me quizzically, "Did you just wake up?" She asked.

"From an accidental nap, yes" I replied.

"Oh," she said, placing a bookmark into her book and closing it, "then what were you up to earlier?"

I shrugged, "Recruiting new members. We got team WRGE, and I got some new info on Plan H, but that's about it. You?"

"Eh," she started, "I picked up this book today. The title caught my interest, and it only cost six Lien"

"How is it so far?" I asked, "Looks like your quite ways in"

"It's interesting." She replied, "Apparently there are four-hundred and eleven different and legitimate ways to peel a carrot"

"How many have you read about so far?" I asked.

"Seventy-eight." She replied, "Apparently if you boil a carrot in exactly forty liters of lime juice it'll peel itself. You have you be very precise though, otherwise it explodes"

"Sounds interesting" I replied.

"Yeah, I like it so far" She said.

There was a brief pause.

"You excited for the fight tomorrow?" I asked.

She looked at me with a confused expression, "Is that tomorrow?" She asked.

"According to Hail" I replied.

"Hmm." She replied, "Well I guess so"

"How's Steam doing?" I asked.

"He's fine," she replied, "last time I checked he was rocking in his rocking chair downstairs"

"So nothing's changed?"

"Not a thing"

I nodded as I looked around the living room. "Well," I said, "I think I'll head out for a bit. Care to join me?"

"Sure." She replied, standing, "Just let me get some clothes on"

I realized for the first time that she was wearing nothing but a stained white undershirt and long black underwear. She stood and went upstairs to her room.

Looking down at myself, I saw that I was already dressed. I didn't have Arkynshihn, but I assumed that I wouldn't need it. And if I did run into a fight I had fists and kicks, so I figured that I'd be fine.

Petunia was downstairs only a minute later, dressed in her light brown hoodie and blue jeans. Her dirty blonde hair wasn't tied up into multiple ponytails like it usually was and instead hung out behind her back. It was quite long, and she looked rather pretty this way.

"You ready?" I asked, heading to the front door and opening it.

"Just need to get into my shoes," she said as she slipped into them, "got 'em. Let's go."

* * *

**So there you have it. More spoilers for 'The Candidates' and some info on Rain Fall. At this point I might even just post 'The Candidates' at the beginning of January to avoid spoiling any more. I don't see why it's such a big deal that I can't, but oh well. I have loads of editing to do though (as in the whole story needs to be proofread and multiple things need to be changed). **

**By the way, in case you don't remember Arachnoirs are Grimm spiders. Just thought you may need a reminder. **

**Also, I think I did this last week but if you haven't noticed I updated the cover art. I made it in Photoshop this time so it looks a lot better. Still not great, but not as bad as before. I'll probably update it again when I get better with Photoshop, but for now enjoy it in all it's glory!**

**And that's about it. Follow, favorite, review, tell yours friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you in the next chapter!**

**P.S. Happy holidays again!**


	64. Crimson II Chapter 12

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**I'm so sorry about the lateness of the chapter. My phone didn't bother to remind me to post one on Monday. It didn't remind me to practice piano or go to work either so I forgot about a lot of things this week. That's what you get for using an iPhone I guess. **

**Anyways, this chapter is pretty laid back. Hopefully it'll be the last Crimson chapter for a bit too. **

* * *

Outside we started walking down the sidewalk. A short car passed by us as we walked.

"So what's going on with work?" She asked.

"I just recruited some new teams," I replied, "I thought I already said this"

"No, I mean more personally." She said, "How are you enjoying it?"

"Well I'm definitely not enjoying it" I replied.

"But you're doing it because of the cost if you don't" she finished for me. I'd said it before, so she already knew my reason and decided to save me the trouble of repeating myself.

"Right." I replied, "Once I know nothing is wrong then I'll move on with my life, if Thunder lets me"

"Thunder?" She asked, "I've heard you mention the name, but who is that?"

"Lleu Thunder," I replied, "he's the commander of the Atlas military"

"Oh," she replied, "have you seen him fight?"

"I don't even know if he can." I replied, "I haven't seen any weapon or anything. Other than his pistol of course, which I know is just a standard one"

"Huh," she said, "I'm surprised. How do you get to that rank without knowing how to fight?"

I shrugged, "I'm sure that he can, but he just hasn't needed to yet"

"Right"

There was a brief silence.

"So what about you?" I asked, "What's your story?"

"I'm sorry?" She asked, "Could you clarify?"

"I mean what happened after Beacon when we all split." I said, "You know my sob story, so what's yours?"

She smiled, "Well, I actually stuck with my team" She replied.

"Really?" I asked, "So I was the odd one out?"

"Sort of." She replied, "After you left we stuck together for a bit, participated in the tournament that year, but afterwards Steam left too. I heard he became a grave digger or something. Hail and I stuck together though, and every year for the tournament we brought Steam along. We never got you back though; you never answer your scroll"

I smiled, "Right," I replied, "I actually blocked all of you on my scroll"

"Why?" She asked, faking a shocked gasp.

"You guys kept calling and messaging me, and eventually I just got annoyed." I replied, "I forgot about it for a while, until Thunder brought it up at least"

"Well there's something good about your work" she said.

"What?" I asked.

"That you reconnected with your team." She replied, "That's one perk of work, isn't it?"

"I guess" I replied.

Petunia punched me playfully in the arm. "Oh shut up. You were overjoyed when you saw us again. Remember? You got totally wasted"

I snickered, "Yeah, I guess I did, didn't I?"

"You fell asleep on top of me." She said, "Yeah, you did"

"Really?" I asked, "I thought you fell asleep on me"

"I don't know," she replied, "I prefer not to think of that morning. Gives me headaches" She groaned, and I laughed.

"Shut up" she said, slapping my arm with the top of her hand.

"So then what did you and Hail do after Steam and I left?" I asked.

She shrugged, "We just did jobs. We lived in the local guild for a few years, but eventually bought that whole house. Steam joined just a year before you did. He had to make the payments too"

"Good." I said, "But what kind of stuff did you guys do specifically? Any big adventures like this one?"

She paused to think, "Nothing as big as Beacon." She replied, "That's the greatest adventure anyone could ever have"

"Right" I replied, not sure if I particularly agreed with her. The issue with Plan H was pretty big, but Petunia wasn't as full of details as I was, nor was she nearly as involved.

"You say that as if you don't agree" She said, as if she had read my mind.

"I'm not sure." I replied, "Plan H has been pretty big so far, same with the whole Harrison and me as mercenaries thing"

"But did you enjoy that?" She asked.

"Not always" I replied honestly.

She gave me a worried look, but moved on instead of questioning me. "But did you enjoy Beacon?" She asked.

"For the most part"

"Then what are you unsure about?" She asked, "An adventure is measured by how much you enjoyed it-"

"I'm not so sure-" I started, unknowingly cutting her off.

"-and by how much you did." She finished, "Was Beacon not what determined what you did for the rest of your life?"

"I guess so" I replied.

She smiled, "_I guess so_," She imitated, deepening her voice as she tried to mimic mine. "Of course it was, there's no question about it"

"Okay Petunia," I said, finally just agreeing with her for the sake of quieting the topic, "by the way that sounded nothing like me"

"Of course it did," She replied, "My impersonation was spot-on"

"Whatever you want to think"

"See? This is why you don't have a girlfriend." She said, "You're so grouchy"

"How did you get that out of my statement?" I asked.

She ignored me, "You got to perk up a little. Live a bit more. Enjoy the little things. That's what a girl wants in a man"

"How would you know that?" I asked.

"Because I'm a girl" She replied simply.

"Fair enough"

I sighed, but when I turned to her I saw that she was smiling. I laughed a little too.

"Well your super positive all the time." I said, "And men don't like that"

"Should I be glum and gloomy all the time like you then?" She asked jokingly.

"No," I replied, "a man doesn't want a woman to change for him, nor does he want to have to change to fit her expectations"

"Okay," she said, "how many girls have you dated since Beacon?"

I paused to think, "Two, I think. Right before I switched occupations" I replied.

"Wow," she said, "I wonder why"

"That was back when I was young and beautiful." I said, "You remember those days? When you first laid eyes on me in Emerald Forest you couldn't move"

"That's because you burned down half the forest fighting a King Taijitu." She replied, "I was having trouble processing the fact that someone so uncoordinated and stupid could have gotten into Beacon. Besides, remember when you first saw me? You couldn't move either"

"That's because you were in the dark ages of your life, and you wore a Grimm mask and black clothing. I thought you were some distorted Beowolf or something" I pointed out.

"Hey, it wasn't a Grimm mask." She retorted, "I made it myself, and it wasn't made to symbolize anything"

"It wasn't a normal face," I replied, "so I naturally assumed that it was a Grimm"

"Well your natural instincts are lacking." She said, "Besides, couldn't you just look into the future and see that I was human?"

"No," I replied, "Remember, I could only see a few minutes into the future at that time"

"I took off the mask about a minute after you showed up"

"And then put it back on." I replied, "Besides, I was too distracted trying to kill you, remember?"

"Yeah, of course I do" She started laughing.

"What's so funny?" I asked, smiling a little.

"It's just so fun to remember all that. How can you question whether that was your greatest adventure or not? Just that moment should be the selling point"

"At the moment I was terrified" I pointed out.

"I think everyone was," She said, "you burned the forest to the ground"

"It was only a handful of trees" I corrected her.

"Have you seen the size of those trees?" She asked, "You can still see the part of the forest that you burned down from the cliff! All the trees are much shorter there!"

"Well looks like I've made my mark in the world." I said, stretching my arms over my head, "Mission accomplished"

She started laughing, and I followed suite.

* * *

**So there you have it. A bit more back story on Petunia and the team, as well as some character development. Like I said, a laid back chapter. **

**I'm actually planning on writing a side story about Petunia and Hail. 'The Candidates' has inspired to do so, so there'll probably be a bunch of side stories in the future (only this time there won't be an restraints on when I can post them). **

**Anyways, not a whole lot to say about this chapter. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to and I'll see you all in the next chapter! **


	65. White II Chapter 1

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**First off, happy New Year everyone! I hope all of you have another fantastic year, and if 2015 wasn't fantastic, then let's make 2016 fantastic. Unless you don't like things to be fantastic, then make sure 2016 is just alright at least. **

**I only just noticed this today, but HellFall passed it's one year anniversary. I remember sitting in my art class being bored and just deciding to start writing, so I started this, an idea I'd had for maybe just a tad too long. It's really amazing to think that I started this over a year ago and see how far it's come since then. And I'd just like to take a moment to thank all of you who have followed this story through the whole year. Your support has been very encouraging, and I hope that you continue to enjoy reading this weird story that I have concocted. **

**January started, as most of you have probably noticed, which means that I need to start editing 'The Candidates' so that I can get in it before the deadline. **

**Anyways, one of the first major canon appearances is about to come up, so enjoy!**

* * *

I sighed, flopping down onto the bottom right side bunk bed. I closed my scroll and dropped it on the bed.

Ember's feet dangled down from the bunk above me.

"What do you think of all this?" I asked, not opening my eyes.

"I think it's interesting." She replied, "You?"

I groaned, "I don't know." I replied, "I wish we could get more information"

"Well they did just crack the code, didn't they?" She pointed out.

"Well, yes." I replied, "But that was already two days ago. Surely they have some new information"

"Maybe they just don't trust us yet." She suggested, "You never know. Or maybe they're confirming it's actually something dangerous"

"I feel like the fact that the Falls are involved is enough reason to panic"

There was a brief pause, "You never know" Ember replied simply.

I heard shuffling in the bunk above me, and her head appeared between her feet.

"Want to go exploring?" She asked.

"We could get in trouble" I pointed out.

She groaned loudly, "Ugh, you're no fun" She said, dropping off her bunk. Her orange metal feet hit the ground with a soft _clank_. She started towards the door.

"Where're you going?" I asked.

"Exploring, duh" She replied.

"I told you, you could get in trouble" I said.

"You said _we_ could. You never said that I would on my own"

"You could get in trouble" I said.

"I like me some adventure" She said, opening the door and heading out.

I sighed, glancing at my scroll for the time. It was midday.

_I wonder how the tournament's going_, I thought, searching it up on my scroll and starting to watch. Round three was predicted to end today. With only twenty-five teams in the round, and multiple fights every day, it was bound to go quickly. I almost wished to be back in the arena, just to take my mind off things.

I stared at the bottom of the top bunk for a while, then stood, grabbed Reitō no Fukushū, and headed out into the hallway.

Back in the main room, I looked around. The table was still there, as expected. I glanced over, seeing a guard standing by the prison door.

"Excuse me, sir?" I asked.

"May I help you?" He asked.

"Yes," I replied, "I'm wondering if there's a training room anywhere in here?"

"Of course." He replied, "Just head down to floor B3. There's a gym there available for use"

"Thank you, sir" I said, starting to walk away.

"No problem." He said, "Oh, and I don't believe I caught your name"

"Wintanweorth Coal." I replied, "And you?"

"Abel," he said, "Scitalis Abel"

I reached out and shook his hand, "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Abel"

"As to you, Mr. Coal"

I nodded in thanks, then headed towards the elevator. Pressing the button inside for floor B3, I began to descend.

When I stepped off the elevator, I was faced with two doors: a male and a female locker room. I went for the male one, of course. Inside it looked like any other locker room, which was filled with lockers. I pulled off my suit and pants, wearing nothing but long underwear and an undershirt. I tucked everything away into a locker, then shut it. I kept Reitō no Fukushū slung around my back. The locker had to scan my hand to lock, and once that was done I headed into the gym.

It was huge, full to the brim with exercise machines, punching bags, and all the sorts. I didn't even recognize some the machines. There were already several people inside. I recognized four of them as the members of team CRDL. They looked up as I entered, but didn't stop what they were doing.

I went straight to a punching bag and started hitting it. I spent a good while doing so, and I felt my muscles tighten and tense up.

"You were in the tournament, weren't you?" Someone asked. I turned. It was Weiss Schnee, whom I hadn't noticed was here.

"Yes." I replied, "I know you were, Miss Schnee"

"Oh, you know me?" She asked, "I'm flattered"

"It's nothing special," I replied, continuing to punch the swaying bag before me, "I know everyone who was in the tournament. I watched every fight"

"Oh really?" She asked, "Who's everyone in my team?"

"Ruby Rose, the leader, you, Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao-Long." I replied, "Like I said, I know everyone"

There was a long silence. I glanced over for the first time since she spoke. She was still there.

"You don't use your fists as your weapon, do you?" She asked.

"No," I replied, returning my gaze to the bag, "I use my sword." I jiggled it on my back a little, "But it's good to know how to use your body to fight instead of just a weapon"

"Oh yeah?" She asked.

"Yeah"

"A weapon is more effective, and you spend more time with it, so it's better to train with it"

"And if you drop it?"

"Any good hunter wouldn't drop their weapon"

"And what if you do, despite how all-powerful you think you are?"

"Ex-cuse me?" She demanded, her voice suddenly sounding angry, "If you want to say something, then say it"

"You're stuck-up." I said, "You think you're all that and a basket of strawberries. And don't get me wrong, you are talented. But you don't have as godly powers as you think you do" Weiss came from the Schnee family, and I'd seen and heard her interacting with others. Despite not knowing her personally until now, I had already formed what I believed to be an accurate opinion of her.

"Oh yeah?" She asked.

I stopped punching long enough to turn to face her. "Is there something you want?" I asked.

"Yeah," she replied, "I want you to eat your words"

"You want to fight?" I asked, "Okay, find a clear area to do so, and let's go"

"Fine!" She snapped, storming off in another direction. I noticed for the first time that she wore nothing but a white exercise bra and short white shorts. Her muscles bulged off her scrawny arms, and it was clear that she was quite strong just by her physique.

"Well?" She asked, turning her head to look at me, "My eyes are up here. You want to fight or what?"

"Did you find a place?" I asked.

"Duh," She replied, "Just at the end of the gym here is an area set up for combat training"

"Right" I replied, jogging to catch up with her. We walked side-by-side, which felt weird, considering we were about to fight. I felt oddly comfortable next to her.

We found a spot next to two other men who were fighting and stood on opposite ends. The fighting areas were divided by a long piece of black tape stretched across the ground. Each area was rectangular and relatively spacious, which was nice.

Weiss took her dust vial rapier, Myrtenaster, off the floor where it leaned against a wall and took up a stance. I drew Reitō no Fukushū and took up my own stance. We stood still for a moment, then she charged.

* * *

**So there you have it. Weiss Schnee is introduced to Wintanweorth Coal. I'm sure you all can see where this is going, but if not then you will soon enough. **

**I'm pretty happy to have left Crimson II behind for the time being to get back to the other colors. Gazini had been receiving way too much attention, and I still have yet to give certain characters their own set of chapters. I recently started Violet II, so now I just need to do Orange II and then I can stop worrying about it. I'll try to steer clear of Gazini for a while though, maybe even until the climax (probably not, he's our main source of new plot information). **

**And that's about it. Again, thank you for your support and have a happy New Year! As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	66. White II Chapter 2

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Wow, I can't think of anything to say. I haven't even seen the new episode yet. Last week's was kind of cool with the back story and all that. I still think that the whole 'maidens of each season' thing was a little too quickly introduced, so it doesn't sit too well with me right now. But that's just me. **

**Anyways, the last chapter was a cliffhanger leading up to a fight, so how about we get on with that?**

* * *

Weiss charged towards me, rapier pointed forward. I raised my blade, stepping aside and allowing her slender weapon to slide across the metal surface of my sword.

She caught herself and spun around, charging again as I turned. She swung as I lifted Reitō no Fukushū and deflected the blow. She swung over and over, each attack I managed to block. Suddenly she leapt into the air, over my head, and landed behind me.

I quickly spun around, focusing my aura in case she landed an attack. She did, right in my side. I stumbled, and as I regained my balance she went in for another attack. Her blade poked at my aura, ultimately sending me to the ground. She leapt backwards, raising her rapier in preparation for my next attack.

I stood, raising Reitō no Fukushū and facing her. The corner of the lips curved into a slight smile, then she charged. I planted my hand onto the side of my blade, while the other stayed on the handle. She threw a flurry of stabs at me, each one I deflected with the side of my sword. As the tip of Myrtenastor hit my blade again I swung out, throwing her arm to the side. I swung downwards on her wrist. I hit her aura, but she still felt it enough to drop her weapon.

She faced me, anger plain in her expression as she raised her fists in front of her face. I swung my sword at her, and she blocked it. We exchanged blows, swapping between offensive and defensive until she hit my chest, followed by my arm. I dropped Reitō no Fukushū. Quickly recovering, I raised my fists and blocked her immediate attack.

It was clear that she hadn't had as much hand-to-hand combat training as me. I landed several punches on her, and she only managed to land a few.

I threw my first, hitting her square in the face. As she fell back, she threw her leg up, turning the fall into a backflip.

I heard a sound and glanced back. A pale blue snowflake had appeared behind me. _Of course_, I thought. She charged, making a beeline for the glyph. I struck up my knee, hitting her in the chin and sending her on her back. The glyph vanished, but she was on her feet soon after, Myrtenastor in hand.

She swung the rapier towards me. I blocked it with my forearm. She swung several more times, each one I deflected with my arm. Finally she stabbed. I grabbed the blade in an attempt to pull it away from her. The blade began to glow red, and my hands burned. I simply winced and yanked it from her hands. Her expression showed surprise, which I took as an opportunity. I punched her in the face. This time she didn't catch herself, and by the time she was on her feet again I had Myrtenastor in one hand and Reitō no Fukushū in the other, both pointed at her neck.

We stood for several moments, staring into each other's eyes. I was panting, trying to catch my breath, but I held my stance. Weiss, on the other hand, sucked her breath in. After a while I tossed Myrtenastor into the air and caught it by the base of the blade so that the handle was facing her. She reached out and took it, letting out a heavy breath.

I sheathed Reitō no Fukushū and turned around the leave, but stopped myself and turned back around.

I held out my hand, "Nice job, Miss Schnee"

She hesitated, then stepped forward and shook my hand, "As to you, Mister, uh, I didn't catch your name" She said

"Wintanweorth Coal." I replied, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance"

She let go of my hand and started to leave.

"Wait," I said, suddenly having an idea. She half turned towards me, but didn't say anything. "Would you be interested in being my training partner?"

She snorted in an attempt to contain her laughter, "Excuse me?" She asked, "Your training partner? Why?"

"You're pretty strong." I replied, "I could use an opponent stronger than a punching bag, and I'm sure that you could too"

"Oh?" She asked, twirling her hair, "You think so?"

"What do you say?" I asked.

"I don't know," she replied, fully turning and starting to walk towards me. "What's in it for me?"

"What do you think?" I asked, "Combat training. A punching bag doesn't return your attacks. We'd both benefit from this"

"Says the guy who just beat me"

"Says the guy who _didn't_ get to the next round of the tournament to the girl who did"

"You didn't progress?" She asked, her voice laced half with surprise, half with pleasure.

"No" I replied.

She turned towards the others who were sparring next to us, as if deep in thought.

"I suppose I could help you prepare for next year." She finally said, "It's never too early to start, right?" She turned her head back to me and held out her hand.

This time I walked towards her and shook her hand. "Sweet." I said, "So what do you want to work on first?"

"Are we not just sparring?" She asked.

"Well no," I replied, "You won't be able to practice every type of combat in every fight. It's better to focus on one thing for a while, then test it in a fight"

"Hmph." She grunted, as if she didn't know that, "Well, what do we do first, then?"

"You could work on your hand-to-hand" I replied.

"Oh please." She said, "You've been doing that for ages. I'm fine"

"Clearly not" I pointed out.

"Excuse me?" She asked, irritation in her voice.

"I focused more on my weapon than anything else." I replied, "I've only trained in hand-to-hand for a few years"

"See?" She said, "I've only ever done it in Beacon when I needed to. You've clearly done it outside of your academy"

"I didn't attend a hunter's academy" I pointed out.

"Oh" She replied, realizing that I'd spent only a little more time than her in fist-fighting. "Well what's your secret then?" She asked.

"Practice," I replied, "come with me" I started towards the punching bags, and she followed.

* * *

**So there you have it. Weiss isn't as good as Wintanweorth, but her team apparently is. We'll be seeing a lot more of Weiss in the White chapters from here on out. Probably at least. I haven't written too many of them yet. **

**I've been taking some time with HellFall to relax and lay low, so in the next few chapters we probably won't get a whole lot of story. However, there is a major part coming up that you all should be paying attention to (and looking forward to). **

**Anyways, really got nothing to say today. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	67. White II Chapter 3

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Well the new RWBY episode was productive. It's clear that volume 3 is coming to a close. Unfortunately it looks to be in the exact same way as volume 2, only with a few extra people thrown into the mix. Hopefully the fight will be good at least. Volume 3 feels like it hasn't really gone anywhere, with most of the episodes being centered around the tournament. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it makes it feel like everything is happening over the course of a single day. But that's just me. **

**I was actually pretty fond of this chapter. Don't know why, but it's kind of important. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Remember what I told you," I said as Weiss continued to hit the punching bag.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." She replied, changing the way she hit it suddenly.

"Don't get sloppy now" I told her.

She didn't respond, but kept punching.

I heard a small beeping sound. Weiss stopped and pulled her scroll out from her pocket.

"Looks like I'm done for the day." She said, starting towards the locker rooms, "Thanks"

"No problem." I replied quickly, "When should we meet up tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" She asked.

"Yeah"

She sighed, "I don't know." She replied, "Just show up around the same time. Here, get out your scroll." She walked back over to me. I pulled it out and we connected them. "There, you can contact me anytime"

"I'm so honored" I said.

"You should be." She replied, "I'm a Schnee, after all. I'm kind of a big deal"

"Yeah, yeah"

"So, anyways," she continued, "If you need to contact me, you can just do so. Okay?"

"Sounds good"

"Alright," she turned and started to leave, "bye"

"Bye"

She disappeared into the female's locker room.

I turned around and faced the punching bag. As I started to throw punches again a thin boy with a pale blonde mohawk, whom I believed was Russel Thrush, walked up to me.

"So," she started, folding his arms across his bare chest, "what was going on there?"

"Training" I replied.

"Pff!" He waved his hand, as if waving off my statement, "Please, you just connected your scroll with hers. No ordinary guy gets that for 'training'"

"Well I did." I replied, "And I'm not an ordinary guy, so please don't refer to me as such"

"What, you think your special or something?" He asked.

I turned, "What do you want?" I asked, starting to feel déjà vu.

"Nothing." He replied, "My question is what do _you_ want?"

"For you to leave me alone"

He frowned, "Fine" He replied, turning and walking away.

I watched him for a few seconds, then returned to the punching bag.

Shortly after my scroll rang. I pulled it out, seeing that it was Ember. Sighing, I answered.

"What?" I asked.

"Where are you?" She asked, "Its dinnertime"

"I'll be there in a bit" I replied, hanging up and heading towards the male's locker room. There were a handful of people inside. A few glanced up as I walked by, but none looked long enough for it to be considered creepy, which is always a good thing in a men's locker room.

After showering and retrieving my things from my locker I headed back up the elevator to my floor. The wooden table in the center of the room was covered in platters, and the chairs were sparsely filled by people. I found my team around the center of the left side of the table. Grizzly stretched in his seat and waved to me, a huge smile spread across his face. I waved back and made my way towards them, sitting down next to Ember.

"Where's Roy?" I asked.

"He doesn't eat, remember?" Ember pointed out.

"He said he eats a big breakfast." Grizzly corrected, "I guess breakfast is all he needs for an entire day"

"I'm going to call him" I said, pulling out my scroll. I heard it ringing on the other side, and eventually he picked up.

"Yep?" He asked, sounding strained.

"Where are you?" I asked, "The military has prepared a huge meal for us. Come on"

"I'm not hungry" He replied.

"What do you mean you're not hungry?" I asked, "All you've eaten today is breakfast. You are definitely hungry"

"What do you mean?" He asked, "I only had breakfast today? Where'd you get that from?"

"That seemed to be the case for the last few days"

He didn't respond for a while, "I'm busy" He said finally.

"Busy with what?" I asked, "Another home invasion perhaps?"

"Yes"

I froze, "Are you serious?" I asked, suddenly worried.

No response.

"Roy?" I asked, trying to stay quiet, "Roy?!"

"Hello Mr. Coal" The new voice was not Roy's. It was deeper, and much less panicked.

"Who're you?" I asked.

"An invader." He replied, "So, what's on the menu tonight?"

I struggled to find something to say. Ember tapped my shoulder, so I turned. She and Grizzly looked terrified. She shrugged, asking what was happening.

"Um," I stammered into the scroll, then covered the speaker and whispered to my two other teammates, "Roy's got an invader. Go to his house, I'll catch up in a bit"

They both nodded and pushed their chairs back, running towards the elevator. Everyone else at the table watched as they ran.

"Mr. Coal?" A man announced from the head of the table.

I jumped, slamming against the table and shaking it enough to knock my glass of water over.

"Yes?" I asked.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"My other teammate is having a home invasion." I replied, "I sent my team out, and I'll be leaving soon"

"Oh," The man said, lowering his wine glass, "don't trouble yourselves. We can send some soldiers out"

"I appreciate it," I started, "but this isn't the first time this has happened, so I think I'd rather handle it myself"

"Very well." He replied, "We'll wait. Please, return safely"

"I'll do my best"

Returning my ear to scroll and standing, I started talking again, "The menu?" I asked, "Well, uh," I glanced over at the table.

In my panic I hadn't noticed the faint ringing on the other side, indicating that the invader had hung up. I pocketed the scroll and ran towards the elevator.

"Good luck, Mr. Coal!" The man announced.

"Thank you!" I replied, "And you may proceed without me!"

"Nonsense!" He said, "We'd be happy to wait" At that statement I heard several people groan.

"I really think you should start" At that, I turned and ran into the elevator.

* * *

**So there you have it. Despite my complaints about repetition this chapter has yet another home invasion in Roy's house. **

**Nevertheless I really like where the story goes after this. It picks up, and some major stuff happens. Let's just say that no one's died recently, and it's starting to bother me. **

**I've been really distracted recently, having had a really awesome story idea. It won't be up anytime soon, sadly, but I'm hoping to write a bit more HellFall today. **

**Anyways, as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	68. Orange II Chapter 1

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Here's a chapter we haven't seen in a while: Orange. Yes, we're switching away from White briefly. **

**New RWBY episode was a World of Remnant. Kind of nice, especially for a fanfiction writer like me. Unfortunately I don't even like the idea of the Four Maidens so that information is almost useless to me and HellFall (not trying to sound overly negative by the way, if you like the story then that's fine. It's your opinion. I just don't like how it was introduced and all that). But oh well, not all information is going to be useful. Sometimes it comes too late too, but again, oh well. Such is life. **

**Anyways, I understand that some of you may be writing exams this week. And if your not, then your a lucky little nut. So I won't waste any more of your time. Enjoy this extra-long possibly exciting chapter!**

* * *

"Where are we going?!" I yelled as Grizzly and I ran down the street.

"Foggy Cove!" He replied.

I turned and raced across the street, receiving several angry honks. Grizzly approached more hesitantly. I grabbed his hand and yanked him across.

"We don't have time!" I called.

"I know." He replied, "But we wouldn't be too good to Roy if we were dead, would we?"

"Just try to keep up" I said.

"Well then maybe you shouldn't take so many risks!" He replied.

We rudely pushed past several people walking along the sidewalk, causing lots of commotion.

I glanced back, seeing Grizzly being swallowed by the people as he tried to apologize to each one individually. I ran back, grabbed him by the hood, and threw him onto my back.

"Hey!" He called, "What's the deal?!"

"We need to hurry!" I replied simply, pushing past everyone with him piggybacking on me.

We arrived on Foggy Cove. "Where now?" I asked.

"Right!" He replied, "The first house on the right!"

I turned right and stopped in front of the first door. "This one?" I asked.

"That's the one"

I stepped back, dropping the green boy to the ground, and raised my leg to kick it open.

Suddenly the door swung open, and out walked a man with blue hair slicked to one side. He wore a white coat with a tall collar.

"Oh!" He said, flicking his hands up in fake surprise, "Well," he chuckled, "I didn't expect visitors"

"Neither did we" I replied.

"You weren't you expecting visitors? From where?" He asked. I could tell that he was trying to joke.

"You know what I mean"

"I apologize, but I really don't"

"Where's Roy?" I demanded.

"Relax," he said, lowering his hands in an attempt to calm me down, "I was only trying to be polite"

"Where is Roy?" I repeated.

"So harsh." He continued, "Why must a woman as beautiful as you-"

He was interrupted by Grizzly, who charged towards him, gun to his gut. "WHERE'S ROY?!" He yelled. I could see that his semblance had been activated, as yellow wisps flew from his eyes. I had never seen this side of him, and was too petrified to move or say anything.

"Whoa!" He said, "Slow down, little buddy, I'm only-"

He was cut off again as a gunshot went off.

The man fell to his knees, hands over his gut. Crimson blood spilled out between his fingers. He coughed, spewing blood from his lips.

Grizzly looked down at him in disgust, then pointed his gun at his head, "Where's Roy?" He asked again.

"Inside." The man finally said, "There's nothing you can do, you arrogant brat!" He reached up and punched the gun out of his hand with a ring-covered fist. Grizzly fired again, but it instead grazed the wall.

The man was on his feet suddenly and grabbed Grizzly's cloak. I was finally able to react. Activating the compact rifle on the top of my wrist, I pointed it at the man.

"Drop him" I demanded.

He looked over at me, not releasing his grip.

"Is there a problem?" Someone asked from within the house. He had a very deep voice.

"Yes," the blue-haired man replied, "yes there is"

"Would you like me to come out?" He asked.

"No, no," He replied, "We're coming in"

"Who's that?" I asked.

"Just a friend." He replied, "Come on, let's head inside. See how Roy's doing"

"Put Grizzly down"

"So this is Grizzlibear!" He exclaimed, looking at the boy with shock.

"What?" I asked.

"Let's just head inside, shall we?"

"Like I said, put him down"

The man stared at me, then dropped him. He looked down at him and grabbed his cloak collar again, but didn't lift him up. I kept my gun aimed at him.

"Try anything like that again, and I'll kill you. Got it?" He threatened Grizzly.

"Get in the house" I said firmly, kicking him in the leg.

We entered the house. It was very simple. Almost too simple to be able to properly live in. The first room was a kitchen, with a washing machine and dryer against the opposite wall. At the far end I saw a doorway which I assumed led to a bedroom.

Roy lay on the ground, face down. A tall man in a long brown coat stood before us. Despite his voice and attire, he was rather thin. His skin was dark, but not nearly as dark as Wintanweorth's. His black hair was slicked back, and a thin mustache stretched out from under his large nose and wrapped around his head. His eyes were thin and bright orange. He wore dark blue skinny jeans and black boots.

"Is this the trouble?" He asked. His voice did not suit his body shape at all.

"Yes," the man replied, "please deal with them, Bleddyn"

"Of course" He replied.

With that the blue-haired man disappeared through the doorway.

"What?" I asked, turning to watch him shut the door behind him.

"Don't worry about him girly." Bleddyn said, "You've a whole 'nother thing on your hands now"

He stretched out his fingers, and claws extended from his fingers. He charged, hands outstretched.

Grizzly stepped in front of me, seeing that I was clearly too shocked to move again. He took the hit, unable to block or counter it. The claws pierced his small body, and he fell to the ground, not moving.

"Grizzly?" I asked, horrified that he might be dead.

"What a noble soul." Bleddyn said, "Sadly, he's only delaying the inevitable"

I frowned, activating my arm weapons: a blade on top of each hand, and a compact rifle above each blade. "You bastard!" I cried, charging towards him.

He smiled, swinging out his claws. I swung my blades, cutting his claws clean off. He gasped as they fell at his feet. I reached out and stabbed him in the gut with both blades, then fired a bullet off of each one. He flew backwards, slamming against the far counter.

"You know, there's one thing no one ever counts on," he said, standing, "my high aura" his wounds began to quickly seal themselves as he charged towards me. He reached to his back and drew a kaskara sword. It was a straight double-edged sword with a bunch of sting waving out from the bottom of the pommel.

He swung at me, and I blocked his attack with both blades. He drew back, then went in for another immediate attack. We exchanged blows for a while, swinging back and forth. Metal on metal. Sparks flicked about, loud clanks and crashes filled the house.

He swung his blade, this time putting much more strength into it than I expected. My arm flew behind me. He swung immediately after, and I managed to barely block it with my other hand. But once again, that arm ended up behind me. He swung for a third time, and my robotic foot came up. I kicked out, releasing the coiled-up spiked whip hidden inside. Catching him by surprise, I wrapped the whip around his blade and swung my leg to the left, throwing him to the ground. Somehow he hadn't let go of his weapon, which surprised me.

Bleddyn stood, "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" He said.

He charged, sword swinging. I flicked out the whip again, catching his blade and sending it aside. Somehow he managed to hold onto it, but he didn't go flying this time. I leapt into the air, kicked out my other foot. The other spiked whip in my foot flew out, stabbing into his neck.

I hit the ground, landing on my rear end.

"Where do you go now girly?" He asked, "Looks like you're out of weapons"

I pulled my second whip back into my foot, ripping his neck open. Blood spilled out, and he fell to the ground, a pool of blood forming by his head.

I unraveled my other whip and pulled both of them into my feet.

Keeping my eyes focused on Bleddyn, I stood and went to Grizzly. I flipped him over onto his back.

"Grizzly?" I asked, "Are you still there?"

He mumbled something.

"What?" I asked.

"This sucks" I heard him say.

"Are you okay?"

"He won't be!" Came Bleddyn's voice behind me.

I turned, seeing him standing over me, blade in hand. I stood, drawing my blades and guns again.

He tipped his head to the side for a moment, "That's not doing you any good girly" He said, reaching back and pulling his blade's sheath off his back. It was an interesting shape, with the bottom end of it being wider than the blade itself. The tip of it was open as well, and I saw a tube attached to the opening on the other side going to a pack on his back that I hadn't noticed. A trigger popped out from the sheath, and he pulled it. Fire spewed out from the tip.

I raised my blades in an attempt to protect myself and put up my aura. I flew backwards, breaking through the wall and landing in the street.

As I stood, coughing up dust, I saw Bleddyn walk out from the hole in the house. There were screams from civilians all around me as they ran. _Yeah, they really should_, I thought. My rear end hurt and my back ached, but I raised my hands nonetheless, ready to face the man yet again.

"You've got guts." He said, "Facing the minion of the strongest man alive like that"

"Who was that guy?" I asked.

"Rain Fall." He replied, "You're messing with the wrong man's minion"

I was shocked and angry that I'd let him go so easily, but I pushed that aside to focus on the task at hand. "But you know why I'm willing to fight you?" I asked, "Because like you said, you're just the minion"

He frowned and charged, blade raised above his head. I pointed my hands at him and started firing, each shot deflected by his massive aura. When he was finally within a few feet of me, I charged. We clashed blades briefly before drawing back and going in for another immediate attack. I knew his style by now, so it wasn't nearly as difficult as before to counter his moves. Nevertheless, his aura had hardly changed, and I could barely break it.

With each swing I felt new strength fill my body. I'd felt it in previous fights, but never understood why. I still didn't, but I didn't question it. Instead I let it happen and enjoyed its benefits. Maybe it was my semblance and I just didn't know it. I began attacking quicker and with more power, and eventually I was landing attacks on him. Blood flew everywhere as we fought, but each scar was healed almost immediately. _I just need to wear down his aura until there's nothing left_, I thought. I felt power surge through my body until I thought I'd explode with it all and desperately tried to throw it all on Bleddyn, just in case I could explode.

I swung out my foot, ripping his cheek open again. Blood flew out, but he kept fighting, the scar healing almost immediately. I blew a hole in his shoulder, and it started to heal, but it was different this time. After watching his wounds heal for at least twenty minutes straight I was used to the rate at which they did so. His shoulder healed slower. _I'm breaking him down!_ I thought, slicing at his arm.

Suddenly I felt something pierce my belly. I tried to keep fighting, but it was nearly impossible. Looking down, I saw his fingers sticking into me. He'd grown his claws back. I stopped fighting back altogether, struggling to even stay on my feet.

"You don't get it, do you?" he asked, "I can never have less than one hundred percent of my aura. Doing something as menial as healing means I'm using more of my aura at once"

I fell to my knees, feeling my consciousness slipping away.

"Sorry girly," he said, "but like I said, you were just delaying the inevitable" He raised his blade above his head, preparing to bring it down on me. I couldn't fight back, there was no way I had the strength. I fell flat on my face, my head hitting some of the debris from the explosion.

I felt him swing his blade above my head as I fell. "Dammit" He muttered. I almost laughed inwardly, but I had so little strength that I couldn't do anything but keep myself awake.

I felt the tip of his blade resting against my back a moment later, then it lifted and never returned. I heard him yell, then lost consciousness.

* * *

**So there you have it. Ember's weapons revealed. Some of my personal favorites too, especially the feet-whips. **

**Fun fact: I created Bleddyn while writing Roy's second home invasion, but decided at the last minute not to introduce him yet. I wanted to save him for a good time, and I figured now was a good a time as any. **

**Also, Rain Fall's back. And Bleddyn is his minion. Seems like everyone's got a minion eh? Basically just an excuse for me to have more major villains. But they still serve an important role in the story, don't you worry. With four baddies, four minions, and eight goodies that makes for some even climax match-ups (that's not the reason by the way, I only just thought of that)**

**I hope you guys took note of Ember's battle skills (hint hint)**

**Anyways, that's about it. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	69. White II Chapter 4

**Well hello there gorgeous, welcome back to HellFall.**

**Quick update: I don't even know if the RWBY fanfiction collaboration is even still a thing, considering the host had to drop out and now no one's taking initiative. Although I guess that I did volunteer to take over... Anyways, I'm a bad example, I'm not even done yet. So unfortunately, it'll be a while before you get to read it. But I have edited the first chapter, so that's something. My plan for it is to release one chapter every day, so the whole thing will be out in no time. Just because I don't want to spoil it too much more in HellFall, so I want to get it out there as quickly as possible. **

**Anyways, now that that's out of the way, let's get on with the chapter. We left off with Ember, and we're returning to Wintanweorth. I think you guys'll like this chapter, so enjoy!**

* * *

I got to Roy's house as quickly as I could, trying to call Ember or Grizzly to get his address. However, it turned out to be easier to find than I had initially thought. There was so much noise in one area I assumed that it had to be his house. _Sounds like things got out of hand_, I thought, turning a corner.

I arrived on the scene, seeing rubble from a house, presumably Roy's, strewn everywhere. A man in a long brown coat stood over Ember, his sword pointed at her back.

I drew a shuriken from my suit and threw it, piercing his elbow. "Hey!" I called, hoping to pull his attention away from her.

"I'm busy!" He yelled back, "Can't you see that?"

"Get over here!" I yelled.

"Piss off!" He called back, turning his head.

I drew another shuriken and threw it towards the pack on his back. As expected, it broke right through, making its mark on his back. Red dust leaked out.

He turned around, "Okay," he said, pulling an oddly shaped sheath off his back, "You want attention? Fine!" He squeezed the sheath and fire burst out from the tip. It didn't have enough range to hit me, so I didn't move.

He frowned, charging towards me, the fire still being pumped out. I started to back up, drawing Reitō no Fukushū from my back. Just as the man reached me the flames exhausted themselves. Most likely all the dust had leaked out from his pack already.

He threw it aside and gripped the straight sword in his hand. "You're dead!" He cried, charging towards me. I raised my blade, deflecting his first attack. He swung again instantly, hitting me in the head. Luckily I had my aura up, so it simply passed through without causing a wound.

I quickly regained my posture and blocked his next attack.

"Who are you?" I asked as we locked blades, pushing against one another.

"Bleddyn Terrell." He replied, "Mr. Rain Fall's minion. I warned your friends not to mess with me, but look how that turned out"

"Is that supposed to scare me?" I grunted, struggled to push his blade back.

"Yes, actually." He replied, "But it seems like you're just like them. Hopeless"

I leapt backwards. He stumbled forward, opening himself up briefly. I charged, bringing my blade down on his head. It split open and blood poured out. He fell to the ground, a pool of blood forming around his head.

"Hopeless, eh?" I asked.

"Yes" He replied, standing. The wound in his head pulled itself together and healed, good as new.

"What on Remnant?" I gasped.

"I have unlimited aura." He said, "You can't beat me"

"Impossible"

"Oh?" He asked, "Then let's keep going, shall we?"

He raised his blade and swung. I swung back, cutting open his gut and spilling blood. Before anything else could leak out it was sealed back up. The only evidence of a scar was his torn clothes.

His blade came down, cutting my shoulder. My aura was up, causing the blade to phase through it.

_Wait a minute_, I thought,_ he doesn't have his aura up as protection. He's only using it to heal himself. It's not unlimited_.

I struck him again, and the wound bled and healed. We exchanged blows over and over, with me often landing an attack and occasionally for him. As the fight raged on, I realized that I wasn't wearing down his aura at all. _Is it really limitless?_ I thought, but pushed the thought away from my mind. I needed to focus on the task at hand.

We fought for several long minutes, at least ten before I felt my aura being depleted. He cut my arm, and it began to bleed. _Crap!_ I thought, _My aura's out!_

I was panting, barely able to keep up with him. He cut a shallow scar into my gut and I stumbled backwards, blood dripping out.

"Don't you see?" He asked, "My aura cannot deplete. You're already dead"

"The fact that I'm able to speak to you says otherwise" I replied.

He frowned, but didn't move. "You've got a lot of nerve" He said, raising his blade and charging.

Suddenly he exploded into blue plasma and flew to the right, hitting the ground and sliding for a while. I turned, seeing Roy standing, ShoGun in hand. The tip was sizzling.

"Let's see how that feels" He said, slowly making his way towards him.

Bleddyn stood, "You were dead!" He called, "I killed you!"

"As did I to you" Roy replied, firing another blast of plasma at him. It hit his right shoulder, blowing it clean off along with his arm. It began to bleed heavily, and the wound sealed itself quickly. The arm didn't regenerate, however.

He screamed and charged. Roy simply backed up to the side a little and pulled the trigger. A gaping hole broke through his chest and he flew to the side. As he stood Roy pulled the trigger again, expanding the hole in his chest. It was already healing by the time he reached the injured man.

Bleddyn stood, raising his blade, "I'll kill you!" He cried.

"Funny," Roy said, "I just realized how to do that, only to you"

He pulled the trigger of his gun one last time; blowing Bleddyn Terrell's head clean off. It started bleeding as he fell, but it did not heal.

Roy looked down at the body, keeping his gun pointed at it for a little while longer. When he was certain of his death, he transformed his gun into a sword and sheathed it in his back.

I started towards him, gripping my gut in the hopes of stopping the bleeding. My aura couldn't save me now, it was pretty much gone.

Roy reached me before I did him. His vest and shirt was cut straight down the middle, and I could see something silver underneath.

"What is that?" I asked, pointing to his gut.

He looked down, "Oh." He said, reaching down and gripping his clothing. His eyes flicked up, and he suddenly shouted, "Rain!"

I turned, seeing a blue-haired man running down the sidewalk a little ways behind us.

"Rain Fall?" I asked.

Roy nodded, starting towards him. I drew a shuriken and, taking careful aim, threw it. It whizzed right past Roy's neck and stabbed straight into Rain's ankle. He stumbled, but kept running, pushing it out with his aura. I threw another, hitting him in the back. It bounced right off. _His aura's up now_, I thought, watching as he ran with Roy in pursuit.

I reached into my pocket and drew my scroll, dialing Gazini's number.

"Hello?" He asked.

"I've located Rain Fall" I replied.

"Where?" He asked.

"Near Foggy Cove." I replied, "Roy's in pursuit"

"I'm on my way. If you can follow him, do so"

"No can do." I replied, "But like I said, Roy's in pursuit. Keep in contact with him"

"Will do," He said, "thank you Mr. Coal"

He hung up and I pocketed my scroll, turning around and heading towards Ember.

She lay limp on the ground, eyes closed.

"Ember?" I asked, slapping her gently on the cheek. Looking over her body I saw a few small wounds in her gut. I lifted her shirt and saw that they weren't bleeding, but the skin around them had turned a gross yellow.

I called the hospital and told them to come immediately. I found Grizzly, and his situation was the same, only he was mumbling a little.

The ambulance arrived shortly, getting Ember and Grizzly onto a stretcher.

"Will you be alright sir?" A medic asked me.

"Yes," I replied, "I just to get my aura back up"

The man pulled a pill out from a small pack on his waist, "Take this." He said, "It'll regenerate it right away"

"Thanks" I said, taking it.

"There are a few side effects." The medic added, "Just so you know"

"I'll manage." I replied, swallowing it and waiting. My aura completely regenerated almost instantly, "Thank you again" I said, turning around and running in the same direction as Roy and Rain.

"No worries! He called after me, "It is my job, after all!"

* * *

**So there you have it. Bleddyn was Bleddyn out all over the place (ha, puns), so finally I got to kill someone off again. Then Rain shows up, having waited around to watch the show put on by his minion, and now everyone's in pursuit. **

**Take notice of Roy's undershirt, if you catch my drift. **

**Also, the aura regenerating pill. Why isn't that used more often? Well, there are side-effects like he said. I'm planning to make them rather severe and show up a bit later, maybe. I'm not sure yet. I haven't even written in HellFall in a while so I can't remember exactly where Wintanweorth's part in the story has gone. But the pill is primarily used for emergencies, and its very expensive. So I'm planning not to make it just the senzu bean of HellFall. It won't be used abusively. Chances are this will be its only usage because I'll have forgotten about it. **

**And now Rain is without a minion. Who do you think it'll be next? (It'll be another OC, so there's really no way that you could make an accurate guess). I'm still in the process of creating him/her though, so if you have any ideas drop me a review/PM for what you want him/her to be like. **

**Anyways, that's about it. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't it you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	70. White II Chapter 5

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Sorry it's a little later in the day, because of Family Day I'd gone on a long walk with my family, and I wasn't feeling particularly willing to do anything afterwards. Oh yeah, Happy Family Day! Hope ya'll have a great day with your families, or watch a really good movie or something if you aren't with your family**

**So the new RWBY episode came out yesterday. I thought it was pretty lame. While I liked a few parts of it, some of the fights were super lackluster and disappointing, and Velvet's weapon kind of really sucked in my opinion. I won't go into it because next week when volume 3 ends I'm planning on writing a spoiler-full review of the volume at the end of the chapter (for those of you who are interesting in my opinion. I just like writing reviews anyway). By my comments thus far you can probably guess what my overall opinion will be, but who knows? Maybe the last episode will change that. **

**Anyways, this chapter is important, so let's get on with it!**

* * *

I called Roy, asking where he was. He told me that the military, as well as Gazini's team, PHGG, was already after them.

"I want to meet you," He said, "and the rest of the team, if they're able"

"They're in the hospital." I replied, "What's this about?"

"Meet me back in our military quarters" He said before hanging up.

I altered my course and started towards the military base. When I arrived I was welcomed by a flurry of people pacing about the lobby, phone ringing, and people talking. I pushed past them and got to the elevator. Down on my floor, everyone still sat the table, but no one ate.

"Did you hear, Mr. Coal?" The man at the head of the table asked.

"Yes." I replied, "I was there when he escaped" I made a beeline for my quarters, making it clear to everyone that I wasn't interested in talking at the moment.

I arrived at the door to find Roy waiting outside. "My handprint hasn't been registered" he said simply.

"What's this about?" I asked.

"Can we go inside?" He replied.

I opened the door and shut it behind us.

"So?" I asked, "What's up?"

He pulled off his torn vest and shirt, then pulled open the flesh where he'd been cut. Behind the skin was a mess of metal pistons, bars, and other things that I couldn't even identify. Everything was constantly moving.

"What?" I asked, almost running away in fear. "What are you?"

"That's exactly what Rain asked." He replied, "In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm an android. More specifically a RoSowIne, Robotic Soldier with Intelligence. I was part of a project created to mass produce androids with human-like intelligence. I'm sure you've heard of Penny, the military's secret weapon?"

I nodded, still shocked "Yes, I know of Penny"

"Well," Roy started, "I was the first part of creating an army of Penny's, and unfortunately I was a failure, so I was cast aside"

"What do you mean?" I asked, "A failure?"

"I can't generate an aura." He replied, "Which means that I have no semblance. It was required that I'd be able to simulate an aura of my own to be an effective RoSowIne"

I sat down on my bed, "So the not eating thing was-" I started, trying to put it all together.

"Because I can't consume human food." He replied, "I do require a daily dose of android fluid to be able to continue functioning each day. But otherwise I can never get tired or run out of energy"

I sighed, rubbing my face with my hands, "What is this android fluid?" I asked.

"It was provided by the military when I was denied" He replied.

"Why didn't they just throw you out?" I asked, "I don't mean to sound rude, but why keep you if you're of no use to them?"

"They did throw me out." He replied, "But I fought back, so they let me out with enough fluid to last several years and try to lead a normal life." He paused, "Of course, when you're born with the fighting abilities of a professional and a sword in your back it's really hard to do anything but hunt"

"So that's what you did" I said, looking back at his gut, then looking away. It was too weird.

He closed it, seeing my discomfort. "I'll get it sealed up, then when the team returns I'll explain it to them"

I nodded, "Sounds like a good plan" I said.

He turned around to leave, but stopped before he could open the door. "It has just occurred to me that I have no place to live." He turned and looked at me, "Mind if I stay here?"

"Of course." I replied, "It's really not up to me"

"I just wanted to be polite" He said.

"By the way," I started, "So you're an android. Does that have anything to do with your voice? Sorry if I sound rude, but it's just so monotonous. Same with your facial expression"

"Yes." He replied, "That was another failure of mine as a RoSowIne. I couldn't simulate human emotion, but my creator told me that that wasn't nearly as big a deal as the aura"

"I would think not" I said.

"How do you think I'll be able to store my fluid in here?" He asked, looking around the room.

"Well, first of all." I started, "You'll have to see if there's even any left"

He stared at me for a second, "I just remembered, Rain destroyed the container"

"Well, let's go get some more"

"That won't be so easy." He replied, "You'll have to talk to my creator, and I know that he never wants to see me again"

"I'm sure we'll be able to squeeze some out of him" I said.

Roy stared at me blankly.

"We'll be able to get some from him" I clarified.

"How?" He asked.

"I have a reason that he can't resist." I replied, "Where can we find him?"

Roy's creator ended up living just a few floors above us. We arrived on his floor relatively quickly and walked in. Some of the men there cast us curious glances, then gagged when they saw Roy.

"Who are we looking for again?" I asked.

"Krystyn Pistachio" Roy replied.

"Thanks." I said, then faced the whole room, "Krystyn Pistachio!" I called.

All eyes fell on us.

"Yes?" One man asked, stepping forward, "What can I-" He stopped when saw Roy, "You!" He pointed a gloved hand at him, "You filthy little – I told you never to return!"

"He's out of android fluid" I said.

He turned to me, "Well that's of no concern of mine." He said, "It's his fault for wasting it all"

"Mr. Pistachio." I started, "You aren't aware of who we are, are you?"

"Why, should I be?" He asked, laughing as if I were making a joke.

"I'm operating a few floors down." I replied, "On a particularly important case"

"Why the heck should I care?" He asked.

"Because guess who else is working on the case?"

He looked over at Roy, "Oh no," he groaned, "You enlists this failure's help?"

"I don't think the military will be too happy if you don't provide, Mr. Pistachio"

He spat, "Pah! I told you, he's not my problem. I don't give a Grimm's foot what happens to him"

I took a step towards the man, "Please, Mr. Pistachio." I said, "Like I said, do you even know what we're working on?"

"Did you hear me, you Nalakian scum?" He asked, "I said I don't care. So buzz off!"

"Is the name Fall familiar to you, Mr. Pistachio?" I asked, ignoring his racist remark.

"Obviously" He replied.

"Well," I started, "did you hear the news? There are two of them now, and they both have big plans for us"

He didn't reply.

"So," I started, "I assume that you realize the seriousness of this case now." I paused, "Give Roy the android fluid, or you'll endanger the entire case, and all of Remnant for all I know. Do you really want to be responsible for the deaths of who knows how many?"

He didn't move for a while.

"Get the android fluid" I demanded.

"Fine." He replied, "I'll have it delivered to your estate. Assuming you'll need a lot of it, considering out quickly you used it up"

I was about to say something, but realized that it wouldn't accomplish anything.

"Where do you currently reside?" He asked.

I told him the floor number, then explained the problem with space we had in the room.

He sighed, "Alright, I'll get it all sorted out. And here, let me get you some for until we deliver it" he turned and left, reappearing moments later with a bottle and needle full of brown fluid. He handed it to Roy, "Hopefully that'll last you more than a day" He said.

"Thank you, Mr. Pistachio" I said.

He groaned, waving his hand at us as he walked away, "Just don't let us all die" He said, returning to work.

* * *

**So there you have it. Roy's a robot. And yes, I've had this idea since I first thought of him as a character, it's something that I just decided to throw in at the last second.**

**Him as an android certainly explains a lot, doesn't it? His monotonousness, unwillingness to eat, and (although this isn't explained in the chapter) his inability to understand certain sayings or things that people do. He wasn't programmed to know what they meant or why people do them. Also, I might write a side story on Roy. Maybe, maybe not, I'm not sure. And the RoSowIne thing, I know it's not particularly original or cool-sounding, but I wanted to make it sound somewhat like Roy Sho, his full name, so that he'd have a source of how he chose his name. I was originally thinking of just calling them RoyShoGuns, but then realized that that wouldn't really mean anything, so I altered it. **

**Anyways, other than that the chapter doesn't have a whole lot else, so as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	71. Violet II Chapter 1

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**I'm going to keep this brief because my computer is stupid and I've already had to write this intro and outro twice so I'm really, really p*ssed right now. So that mutli-paragraph, detailed review that I wrote on volume 3 at the end is freaking gone. So yeah, super brief today, sorry guys. **

* * *

I made my way through the crowded seats of the tournament arena, a bag of popcorn in one hand and a bottle of grape soda in the other. The rest of the team was out attending to whatever they wanted, so I had decided to see what all the fuss was about at the Hunter's Tournament.

Unfortunately, I was having trouble finding a seat. A few rows up I saw a man sitting under an umbrella. He has a long yellow mohawk running over his otherwise bald head. It hung down to his neck as well. He wore a yellow button-up shirt with orange flowers covering it, and white shorts.

"It's not summer already, is it?" I asked, reaching him.

He turned to me and smiled, "I believe it is" He replied.

"Is this seat taken?" I asked, gesturing to the empty chair next to him.

"For now, no." He replied, then pointed to the arena, "He's going to be fighting soon, but he'll be back right after his match"

"Is this his match right now?" I asked, turning back to the arena.

"Not quite," he replied, "you can sit if you like. No worries"

"Thank you, sir" I said, sitting down.

"I'm Lleu by the way." He said, holding out his hand, "Lleu Thunder"

I shook his hand, "Octavia Strom" I replied.

"Strom?" He asked, "You wouldn't happen to be related to Hail Strom, would you?"

"Hail?" I asked, "Yes, I am. Although we haven't spoken much lately"

Lleu pointed into the arena, "She'll be fighting with my partner" He said.

"No kidding?" I asked, "So your friend's in team PHGG? Which one is he?"

"Gazini Void"

"Really?" I asked. There was that name again. Azure had met him not long ago, and it seemed that he was about to cross paths with me too. Azure would have left, but I was interested in staying, to see what he was like now.

"Yep." Lleu replied, "You know him?"

"I've heard the name," I replied, "but never met the guy. What's he like?" It didn't feel good to lie to a stranger, but I did it nonetheless. I was curious,

"Well," he started, "I don't really know how to describe him. Rude, angry, something like that? Yet still a pretty decent guy. You'll have to meet him to understand"

"I'm looking forward to it" I said.

The match ended and Lleu turned to me, "So what do you do for work?" He asked.

"I'm a huntress" I replied.

"Oh?" He asked, "Why aren't you in the arena then?"

"I've been busy with my team lately." I replied, "We don't have a heck of a lot of free time. And, I mean, best huntress in the world? That's a pretty big title. I think one's enough, you know?"

"Right," he replied, "what's your title then?"

"Some people nicknamed me the Violet Demon." I replied, "But that was mostly just in Vale, my hometown"

"So you attended Beacon I presume?" He asked.

"You are correct in presuming so" I replied, trying to sound formal to match his vocabulary, mostly as a joke.

"I see." He replied, "So you must be quite good, then"

I shrugged my head from side to side, my purple dreadlocks bouncing a little, "I guess so" I replied.

"Don't be so modest," he said, "I'm sure you're great"

"What about you?" I asked, "I see you have a pistol there. You aren't a huntsman yourself, are you?"

"Not really," he replied, "I attended Atlas academy, then joined the military afterwards"

"Are you allowed to carry your weapon with you right now then?" I asked.

"Technically I'm working," He replied, "so yes, I am allowed to"

"Sounds like a dream." I said, "Watching people beat the snot out of each other for a living"

He snickered, "This isn't my job," he said, "this is just part of it"

"What part, if you don't mind me asking?" I asked.

"It's classified, sorry"

"No worries"

Lleu drew his scroll as the next match started. I glanced over halfway through, seeing his eyes glued to the screen.

"Hey." I said. He looked up. "You researching me?"

"What?" He asked, "No, of course not. Why would you think that?"

"Your scroll is transparent." I replied, "I can see the heading 'nomeD teloiV ehT', which I know is 'The Violet Demon' backwards"

He flipped his scroll so that he could see the back, "huh" he said, flipping it back.

"So what's up?" I asked.

He hesitated, "I'm forming a taskforce," he whispered, leaning in close, "I'm looking for capable teams and individuals. That's why I'm here, to find them. If you're good enough to have a title then I assumed you were pretty good, so I just wanted to make sure"

"Well, like I said earlier, my team and I are pretty busy" I replied, remembering the decision we had already made on the matter.

"It's a shame." He said, "Oh well, I won't make you"

After that he was quiet. At least until team PHGG stepped onto the battleground.

"That's Gazini down there, with the big sword and red hair" He said, pointing.

"I see him" I said, leaning forward. I looked over the whole team. Hail appeared to be in good shape. Gyro, not so much. And Petunia hadn't grown since I last saw her. Gazini wasn't much different in appearance either.

They were matched up against a team called RWBY, who had, according to the announcer, barely made it. Lleu leaned forward and smiled, as if he were excited.

"You looking forward to this fight?" I asked.

"Oh yes" He replied.

The fight may have been visually appealing, with team RWBY throwing huge moves at PHGG while they evaded, but to a seasoned huntress such as myself it was rather one-sided. RWBY was getting their butt handed to them on a silver platter. Occasionally they got a big hit on someone, but PHGG always retaliated with big and small moves of their own. RWBY's aura was draining quickly. By the end Gyro and the whole of RWBY was out of aura, but otherwise PHGG was relatively intact.

"They're good" I said, standing to leave.

"Yeah," he replied, nodding absent-mindedly. He turned, "Hey, where're you going?"

"To see my sister" I replied.

"Alright." He said, waving, "Nice chatting with you"

"You too" I said, making my way down to the participants entrance.

I waited by the door, leaning against the wall. It took a few minutes, but eventually the door cracked open. Team PHGG walked out, Petunia and Gazini leading. Hail had her arm around Gyro's shoulder as he limped along.

"Hail?" I asked. She turned, her expression confused.

* * *

**So there you have it. Still pissed as hell, not going to summarize the chapter for you 'cause you just read it. **

**No review, like I said, 'cause I already wrote it and my computer is a piece of sh*t that likes to ruin my freaking life and waste my bloody time.**

**Sorry if I'm coming off as a little rude (and if I'm more vulgar than usual) it just took a hell of a lot of time and energy to write that bloody review. Like seriously, it was at least 6 solid,paragraphs. I can't even write an essay for school that bloody long. Maybe I'll give you a review in the next chapter. Maybe. But in case you were wondering, the last episode is good, the rest is basically sh*t. That's the summary of my opinion. **

**As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	72. Violet II Chapter 2

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Is it just me or did this past week go by really slowly? Probably just me. **

**Also I'd like to apologize for last week's angry little rant. That was extremely unprofessional of me to do. This isn't a blog, so my opinion really isn't wanted or needed here. And also, sorry about the bleeped out language. I know it wasn't horrible (and relatively censored), but it's more than what's in HellFall itself, so I really shouldn't have talked (or I guess written) like that. Whether this apology is really needed or not is not known to me, but I felt the need to get this off my chest because I don't feel particularly good about it. **

**On that note, the review. Yes, I'll post it in today's chapter, just at the end. Despite saying my opinion doesn't matter above, this is at least a bit more related, so yeah. Plus I hadn't been saying that an angry rant was coming for the past few weeks. Whether or not it'll be as long as it originally was is unknown to me, but this time around I will type it in a regular Word document. That way I can't lose it to internet issues (which is what happened last time).**

**Anyways, last chapter was a bit of a cliffhanger (not really), so let's get on with it.**

* * *

"Octavia?" She asked, staring at me confusedly. I began to wonder if I should have greeted her, considering we hadn't spoken in years. "What're you doing here?"

I shrugged, "I just thought I'd take a day off to see my sister fight." I replied. "How've you been?" I still felt a little tense.

"It's been who knows how long, and that's all you can think you say?" She asked. I prepared for the worst, "You haven't changed a bit, sis" She snickered.

My tension slowly trickled away at that.

"Come 'ere. Aren't you going to give me a hug?" She asked.

I didn't move for a second.

"You okay?" She asked, "What is it?"

"I'm just surprised." I replied, "I thought you were still mad at me for a second there"

"About what?" She asked, "Davy?" She laughed, "Davy Pickle? You really think I would still be mad about him?"

"Well," I started, "we haven't exactly maintained contact. And you know how some people can be"

She spread her arms and started walking towards me, "Come on, get that booty over here"

I ran towards her, wrapping her in my arms.

"Did you ever date Davy?" She whispered into my ear. She didn't sound happy.

"Uh," I stammered.

"Just kidding." She said, "But did you?"

"No," I replied, unsure of how to feel about Hail right now, "Why?"

We separated, "Just curious." She replied, "I never did either"

"Hey, Hail!" Gazini called, walking over whilst heaving Gyro's body. "What the heck was that about?" When he saw me he fell silent, and so did I.

"Oh," he said, "hello Octavia"

"Hello" I replied simply.

"Oh come on!" Hail slapped us on the back, "Don't be so awkward! Remember how chummy you guys used to be?!"

"Right" He said, forcing out a laugh. He just looked awkward though. I felt the same.

"Well, come on over, Octa, let me show you my place" Hail said, taking Gyro and walking away. I hung back with Gazini for a bit.

"I'm done with all that, just so you know" He said.

"Okay," I replied, "you did some good there though"

He stopped and looked me straight in the face, "Nothing good came out of that job." He said, "All it created was death and desensitization to it. There was no silver lining"

"The money was good, wasn't it?" I asked.

He sighed, "You can't pin a price tag on a life." He said, "You should be with your sister"

I nodded and ran ahead.

"Hey." Hail said cheerily, "What was that about? Gazini's a serious dude but not like that"

"I'll tell you later" I replied.

"O-kay," she said, "Then what's going on with you? Good? Bad? Meh?"

"Well," I started.

"Meh?" She asked.

"It's been fine." I replied, "A bit of both, really"

"Did you ever reconnect with your team?" She asked.

"Yeah, I did. Sort of." I replied, "I mean, I've been with them since Beacon, but we started working together more"

"Oh yeah?" She asked, "What, you guys were just hanging out before or something?"

"No," I replied, "We've been living together since Beacon, but now we're working together more too"

"Oh, that's good." She said, "So I guess that you weren't before then?"

"Not so much" I replied.

"What made you guys change your minds, if you don't mind me asking"

"Well," I started, "I lost my semblance in a job"

"What?" She laughed a little, "What are you talking about?"

"I mean that I can't use my semblance anymore." I replied, "It's gone"

"How?" She asked.

"On a job." I replied, trying not to talk about it in fear of revealing too much information, "Look, we really shouldn't be talking about this right now. What about you, how've you been?"

"Have you told anyone?" She asked me, ignoring my question.

"Yes, my team knows" I replied.

"Anyone else?"

"No"

"Why?"

"Because I don't need to." I replied, "We can handle it"

"Handle it?" She asked.

"I've said too much." I replied, realizing my mistake. "How've you been?"

"I'm fine," She replied, "But this is reason to worry, Octavia. Do you still have your aura?"

"Yes, yes," I replied, "don't worry, that's intact"

She sighed, "Okay," she said, "I'll stop talking." She took a deep breath, threw Gyro into the back of a pick-up truck, then hopped into the front seat. She looked through the window at me, "You coming?" She asked.

"No, I don't think so," I replied, "I think I'll drop by some other time, if that's cool with you"

"Yeah, that's fine." She said, "Come over anytime. Just shoot me a message"

"Sure thing." I replied, "Have a good day" I began to walk away as she started up the truck.

"Octavia," she called. I turned, "Be careful" She said.

"Of course" I replied.

* * *

I arrived home shortly after talking to Hail.

"Look who's here." Azure said from where she sat on the couch. The television was on.

"Is this all that you've been doing all day?" I asked, snickering.

"So what if it is?" She asked.

I went to the kitchen and pulled a bottle of soda out. I popped the cap off and sat down with her.

"Where's everyone else?" I asked.

"Nello went to the gym," She replied, "I don't know where Xeyrus is"

"Was Nello here earlier?" I asked.

"Yeah" She replied.

"Did you guys do anything?" I asked.

"Yeah, we watched TV" She replied.

"Anything else?" I asked jokingly.

"No," She replied, "you're such a creep Octavia. Seriously" She adjusted herself.

"Uncomfortable?" I asked.

"Yeah, we need a new couch." She replied, "This one's all squishy and weird"

"Those are the best kind" I said.

She didn't reply.

"What?" I asked, "I like couches like this. You just sink right into it"

"Please don't tell me that you're still talking in innuendo"

"No, of course not. I love couches like this." I said, "And how could a squishy couch be associated with innuendo?"

"You'd find a way." She said. "Anyways, I think I'll go outside for a bit" She stood and left.

"Bye" I said, watching her leave out the front door. When it had closed behind her I turned to the television started flipping through the channels. There was nothing interesting on so I turned it off and laid down on the couch. Slowly I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**So there you have it. I really chill chapter, just to tell you about Hail and Octavia's relationship. In case you're still unclear as to how Gazini and Octavia know each other then let me explain: In the first chapter it is stated that Gazini received a job to kill someone from Miss Strom. Octavia's last name is Strom. So yeah, that's it. Nothing crazy really.**

**Also, it has just occurred to me that the lines that I place in between paragraphs to divide them and show the passage of time aren't being put in. So if anything has been confusing in the past few chapter (probably not a big deal though) then I apologize. Although I doubt it's a huge problem, if the problem is even there, but I only just noticed it.**

**So in case you didn't read the intro, my spoiler-full review will be at the end of this chapter, so check that out if your interested and tell me why I'm wrong in a review (everyone tells me that, so I'm used to it)**

**Anyways, a really unproductive chapter for the most part. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**

* * *

**_I was super excited for RWBY volume 3. I've quite enjoyed the past two, and with the recent death of Monty Oum I figured that it could either be better or worse. Under a new director it could quite easily be improved upon, but it could also be quite easily ruined. Unfortunately, it really wasn't that great. _**

**_The plot is almost nonexistent. Sure, in the past two volumes there has been little hints at what the plot of the baddies really is, but there was enough progression (or at least feeling of progression) that it felt like we were still getting somewhere. In volume 3 there's almost no plot. It's all just the tournament. There is little to no development between each fight, so it really doesn't work out too well. Each episode is just fight after fight, maybe a bit of cheering in between. But that's it. Typically we'd get a little clip of the baddies hanging out and talking at the end of each episode, but it was always the exact same, and very rarely shed any light on what was going to happen. It'd just end with Cinder staring menacingly into the camera and saying "It's all going according to plan" or "The plan has been changed". In what way? No clue. It's never said, nor can we really figure it out because we have no clue what the plan could be. Now I like suspense; I think it's great to be left in the dark. And as a writer, I love leaving people in the dark. But I also love progressing a story and revealing major plot points and seeing people's reactions to said plot points. RWBY volume 3 doesn't have that. You get a picture of someone that the baddies are looking at and you know they'll be in the next episode, but that's about it. _**

**_The characters are, like I pretty much said above, not great either. Like I said, there's little to no development between each fight, so in terms of character development or growth, none of it really is noticeable if it ever happens. Occasionally we might get a conversation here and there, but they hardly suffice, considering how rare they are. It really ended up just feeling like it was trying to make the fandom freak out. All volume 3 really did was bombard you with new characters and do nothing with them. Generally they were built around clichés, so there was nothing special about them. _**

**_The fights were, to me, the driving force of the show. In volumes 1 and 2 there was enough character development and plot to keep me interested, but the fights were mesmerizing to watch, which is primarily why I stayed with it. In volume 3, they are the most average anime fights in the world. Summoning giant spells and unleashing huge attacks while making loads of scene cuts really doesn't make an engaging fight. Monty choreographed most of the fights in one shot and used plenty of melee combat instead of magic. It's just not really that engaging to watch someone throw a giant ball of ice at someone. It's way more interesting to see them exchanging sword blows back and forth, displaying quick and fancy footwork, and putting it all into one, fluent shot. It's really beautiful to watch. But now it's just lame. Lots of cuts, lots of big moves, and lots of close-ups so that the actual attack doesn't have to be animated, nor the impact it has on the opponent. Probably the best choreography during a fight was in the last episode when Ruby fought Neo and she twirled her scythe around. That looked pretty cool. _**

**_Now let's go into specifics. The new Grimm, specifically the dragon. I hated that thing. Why? Because it made the show feel more like a video game than a show. It was like the boss of a certain area is summoned and it's oozing Grimm. Seriously? Could this be any more like a boss battle? I get the feeling that the dragon exists simply for the sake of the RWBY video game that came out recently. Just so the boss would make sense. I understand how it got summoned, but it was just too much like a video game to suddenly throw him in there. The mountain breaks open, the grand introduction, and then it starts flying around. Then it's just like a video game, like Legend of Zelda or something where you have to work your way to the boss. Speaking of boss battles, at the end of the last episode when Cinder fought Pyrrha it felt way too much like Cinder was the final boss or something. The way she was constantly floating and rejecting every attack, like there was a specific puzzle that you had to solve to defeat her. The floating was my biggest issue with that fight though, that was just stupid. _**

**_I had one issue that isn't really a problem with the show itself, but was more of a personal issue. Monty made the show with the intention that all ages would be able to watch it. So why the heck is Qrow swearing? I know it's really minor stuff, but it's still there, and it's still a problem to me. _**

**_When Grimm die the animation was changed. Before the stubs of the severed body parts would be bright red and evaporate into red rose petals. Now they're black and evaporate into black smoke. I personally think it was way more artistic and cool-looking to do the rose petals, but that's just me. Either way, this is a continuity error. You can't just go off and change the show because you thought of something that you thought was cooler. You have to commit. Now I know that it's a small thing, but it was very noticeable to me and still definitely an issue in the show._**

**_Also, when Roman dies. Now I typically don't complain about character deaths. I love killing off characters in my own stories, but it was just so stupid and poorly timed. We were finally getting some hint as to why the coolest bad guy is doing what he does, and then he dies. Just like that. It's as if that line was improvised and Kerry (the director) suddenly realized "Oh shoot, he's developing his character. Quick, get him out of here!" and then killed him. We finally had a reason to give a crap, and then he got eaten. The reason was good too. He did it because he was afraid, and then got eaten for it. Also, his method of death. Eaten by Grimm, really? In a different situation that would be used for comedy, not for a dramatic death sequence. Considering this show clearly isn't a comedy or anything like that it just felt out of place. _**

**_The death of Pyrrha was extremely predictable. The fandom has seen it coming, everyone has seen it coming. That doesn't make it a bad thing, but if they'd killed off a different major good guy then it would have made the show feel just a bit darker, as well as a little more unpredictable. Everyone was expecting Pyrrha to die and then all of a sudden Blake dies instead or something. It felt like they were just doing the audience a favor by killing her off, because now we can move on to anticipating someone else's death or just stop worrying about it altogether. _**

**_The story of the Four Maidens really rubbed me the wrong way. It's not that the story itself is bad, but it was just suddenly introduced and then used as a key plot point. There was no hint at it or anything, it was just thrown it at you and made important. It was way too sudden to give the audience something that we knew nothing about and make it extremely important all of a sudden. _**

**_The animation this time around was smoother, but I was still bothered by a few things. Certain things overlapping each other, awkward movements, and especially some characters inability to lower their arms completely to their sides. They walk around with them quite a ways away from their sides, as if they're allergic to hips or something. From the very first volume this has been a problem, and unfortunately it hasn't been fixed yet. _**

**_One of the fights in the finale, specifically the one with the robots, was pretty lame. When the third robot showed up it just tripped out of nowhere and died. Seriously? How fragile are these robots? And how bad are they at running? Pretty bad apparently. Also, Velvet's weapon. What a disappointment. It's been being hyped for an entire volume at least, and it's just a rehash of every other weapon. It feels like the weapon designers (or whoever designed it) didn't know what to do and then said "You know what? Let's just reuse the weapons that everyone already loves. That way they can't say that they don't like it". Well guess what? I don't give credit to unoriginality. To be fair though, it looked like she was using some kind of staff at the end that I didn't recognize, so I assume that maybe that was supposed to be her original weapon or something. Or maybe it's her actual weapon and everything else is just extra? I don't know. Either way, it was immensely disappointing and very unoriginal._**

**_So what was good about volume 3? Well, I liked how Emerald semblance was hinted at (and used) but never blatantly said. Her ability to alter someone's perception of what is happening, like when Yang punched Mercury. She was able to alter what people saw, making everyone see Yang punch Mercury for no reason despite the reason existing. It was quite well done for sure. Also, the whole scene at the end when Pyrrha decides to go up against Cinder was pretty good. Arkos (the shipping of Jaune and Pyrrha) became a thing, and then it ceased to be possible. While it's something that we've all seen before, in this particular scenario it was quite well worked in, and pretty dramatic too (in a good way). Also when Penny supposedly died was pretty cool. Again, good use of Emerald's semblance. I liked the idea of Ozpin and Cinder fighting at the end. Two masters duking it out is a great set-up. But when it's, once again, the most average anime fight in the world, it's really not that cool. This time around it copied Dragon Ball Z, which has some of the most boring fights I've ever seen before. _**

**_The last episode was pretty good, however. Despite all the negativity I expressed specifically about the finale I was quite impressed by it. Every other episode before can be easily summarized in a paragraph because it's all the same, but the specific, more important parts are towards the end when it actually changes. While there were a lot of problems I had about the last episode, it set itself up for a great and dark fourth volume, as well as providing us with the best (and only good) fight in the entire volume (Pyrrha and Cinder)(which still wasn't even that great). The ending captured the dark and hopeless feeling quite well, and Yang losing her arm was an unpredictable twist. While most would say that it's obvious that she'll get a bionic arm, I'm not so sure. If the series continues with its current tone, then I wouldn't be surprised if Yang was pretty much gone from the show altogether. Ruby's outburst of unknown power at the end rubbed me the wrong way a bit. It was the cherry on top of the cake, only in this case the cake is the very predictable finale formula. Yes, the last episode is extremely formulaic, but hey, I'd rather have formulaic than effortless, boring bullcrap. _**

**_Overall RWBY volume 3 was a total flop. The plot is poorly developed, the characters are poorly developed, the fights suck, and everything else just isn't good that either. But, like I said, I quite enjoyed the last episode. Was it enough to save the volume? No, not a chance. I still had plenty of problems with the last episode, but at least it wasn't the same boring old crap that we've been watching for the past 10 episodes. While the ending did set it up for a great fourth volume, I have my doubts that it'll be able to live up to that. Will I still watch volume 4? Absolutely. Will I buy volume 3 when I can? Only if volume 4 is good. If it is then that means that volume 3 was just the bad apple of the bunch, so hopefully it won't ruin the rest of the series too. In the end I would only recommend volume 3 if you enjoyed the last two volumes. While it's not horrible, it really isn't that good either. _**

**_Volume 1 rating: 8/10_**

**_Volume 2 rating: 8/10_**

**_Volume 3 rating: 4.5/10_**


	73. Violet II Chapter 3

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**So the Oscars happened last night, and Leo finally got his for best actor in a leading role in 'The Revenant'. Honestly I was surprised that 'Spotlight' won best picture though. I haven't seen it yet, but it just kind of floated to the back of my mind, despite the fact that I knew that it was a major candidate for the award. I'd heard that 'The Revenant' and 'Room' were the leaders at the time. Personally, my favorite movie of 2015 was 'Room' (so far at least), so I was definitely rooting it to win. But oh well, at least Brie Larson got an Oscar for best actress in a leading role for her performance in 'Room', which was pretty great. If any of you feel the need to drop a review, mention what your favorite movie of 2015 was (or one of them if you can't decide).**

**Anyways, Oscars aside, here's the next chapter, which I actually had fun editing today. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Hey, Octavia. Wake up" I heard someone saying.

I opened my eyes to find myself looking into Azure's face.

"Come on, Nello made dinner and I want to sit somewhere"

"You're so beautiful Azure" I mumbled, closing my eyes again.

"Oh my gosh," She said, "Were you drinking when I left?"

I sat up, "No," I replied, "It just never really stood out to me as much as it did just now"

She sighed, dropping onto the couch next to me with a bowl of orange stew in her hand.

"What's in the stew?" I called, asking Nello, "Never mind, don't tell me"

"You don't have to raise your voice so much." He said, coming out of the kitchen with two bowls of stew, "I'm right here"

"No your there" I pointed out.

"I can still hear you from there" He said, handing me a bowl of stew.

"How did you ever become our leader?" Xeyrus suddenly asked.

I leaned forward, seeing him seated in his papasan chair and knitting, "Oh, good evening Xeyrus, I didn't see you there"

He sighed, shaking his head.

"Ozpin thought that I was a good fit for the job, plus what words can you spell with an O, A, N, and X? That's pretty difficult"

"ONAX isn't even spelled correctly." Xeyrus pointed out, "It's spelled with a 'y', as in onyx"

"Really?" I asked, "I always thought that it was with an 'i', as in onix. Like that monster or whatever"

"You mean that serpent in that video game you used to play?" Azure asked.

"Yeah, that one" I replied.

"So what're we doing tomorrow?" Nello asked, changing the subject.

"Well, we should get back to work." I said, "So start looking for Sheng. Let's make sure she doesn't die, I want to see if I can actually get out of this with my semblance"

"Isn't that what we're trying to achieve?" Nello asked, "Is get your semblance back? I assumed this wasn't just for revenge"

"My semblance is the primary focus." I replied, "But I can't say that I'm happy about them taking it away"

Nello didn't reply. Most likely he was surprised that I had revenge on the mind.

"Hey," I said, turning to face him. He turned back to me, "I'm not enjoying this." I stretched out my arms, putting one around Azure's shoulder, "I mean, I enjoyed today, but working is blegh" I pointed my finger in my mouth and stuck out my tongue.

He snickered at that, then averted his eyes to the television screen. "That's why she's our leader, Xeyrus" he said.

The green-haired man sighed quietly.

I thought about asking him what he meant by his sigh, but decided against it. Xeyrus wasn't the best at talking, plus I didn't want to start an argument. Xeyrus had a history of being rather feisty when he did argue.

"So where do we start tomorrow?" Azure asked, changing the subject back.

"Well," I started, "I met with Lleu Thunder today. He's the Atlas military commander. Guess who he's working with?"

Azure sighed, "Gazini?" She asked.

"Correct!" I exclaimed with fake enthusiasm, "You're so smart. Well anyways, he kind of took to me if you know what I mean"

"I don't want to" Azure said.

"Oh hush up," I said, "It wasn't what you're thinking"

"You don't know what I'm thinking" She pointed out.

"I know what your little mind is capable of though, you dirty rascal." I said, "Anyways, I'm sure that if I went tomorrow I could squeeze some info out of him"

"That's basically just another day off" Nello pointed out.

"Oh please." I started, "If watching people beat the crap out of each other is considered work for a military commander, then for a couple of unemployed hunters like us it's like carrying a fat man across America"

"What's America?" Azure asked.

I sipped at my stew, "I don't know" I replied, altering my voice to make it sound like it was obvious. I was a little out of breath too, so it likely came out sounding differently.

"And if that doesn't work?" Nello asked.

I shrugged, "Then we get another day off. We get to watch some people beat the snot out of each other. So who's excited?" I pounded my own fist into my palm.

"But we're not doing anything" Nello pointed out.

"And you're complaining why?" I asked, "This isn't a group project. We don't all have to do equal amounts of work"

"Actually this is exactly like a group project." Xeyrus put in, "One person does all the work, and everyone else sits around scratching their butts"

"Right you are." I said, "But this time there aren't any teachers to get after us"

"I know that" He replied.

"Good on you Xeyrus" I said simply.

"Wait," Nello started, "why don't we look over that old base of theirs?"

"We looked through everything." Azure pointed out, "There's nothing else"

"We could have missed something" He pointed out.

"Oh trust me, we didn't." I started, "Xeyrus looked through it all"

Nello looked over at him. He hadn't even glanced up at the mention of his name. I smiled at his lack of response.

"You think this Lleu Thunder will know anything about Sheng though?" Azure asked, "Gazini's knowledge was pretty thin"

"Who's to say Gazini knows everything though?" I pointed out, "Lleu is the _commander_, not some mindless soldier"

"He definitely didn't seem like a soldier" she said.

"Well, it's been what, a few months?"

"Not even one I'd say"

"See? They're bound to have found something new by now"

Azure frowned.

"Anyways, we'll give it a go. Unless anyone has any better ideas?"

"Let's go back to the base" Xeyrus said.

"We already went over that." I said, "We scoured the entire thing"

"The entire floor." He pointed out, "By what Azure said a while ago, there's more to it"

I thought for a second, remembering what she'd told us. "Alright." I finally said, "You and Azure can head over there. Unless you'd rather not"

"I think that I should go." He said, "You said it yourself, we missed nothing thanks to me"

"Then it's settled!" I announced, clapping my hands together. "Azure and Xeyrus, explore the rest of the base. Nello and I'll head to the tournament and seduce Lleu!"

"I'd rather you didn't say it like that" Nello said.

"I'm not sure how much I want to return to that place" Azure said.

"You know the place the best." I said, "The best that you can do is try to prepare Xeyrus for what is to come. Besides, Nello can't do anything but cook"

"Hey!" He exclaimed.

"I don't need preparation." Xeyrus said, finally putting down his knitting, "I'll allow Azure to come as back-up, but that's all"

Azure glared at him, but didn't say a word.

"So we're good?" I asked. When no one responded I smiled, "Great! Tomorrow, we work! Today, we sit."

* * *

**So there you have it. ONAX's plans for their next work day, but overall a pretty laid back chapter. **

**I was debating whether or not to put the America joke in there, just because of how out of place it'd be, but I figured that it fit Octavia's character relatively well, so I stuck with it. **

**Also, Pokemon reference. I'm sure that plenty of you spotted it. **

**I don't know how many of you read my RWBY volume 3 review last week, but if you did hopefully you understand where I'm coming from, and took at least some pleasure it reading it, whether you agree with me or not. **

**Anyways, that's about it for this chapter. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	74. Azure II Chapter 6

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**There really isn't a whole lot to say today, but this chapter is pretty important. So let's get on with it.**

* * *

I snored in my bed, taking as many minutes of sleep as I could. Yesterday had felt so nice, taking a break from the pursuit, that I didn't even want to do it anymore.

"Wake up" I heard someone say next to me.

"Just a little longer" I groaned.

I heard a heavy sigh. "Do you want to come today or not?"

"I'm coming." I said, not really sure what I was agreeing to, "Just a few more minutes"

I heard fading footsteps and smiled, happy that whoever the intruder had been decided to back off.

Moments later I heard footsteps again.

"What now?" I moaned.

Suddenly I was freezing cold. I shot up in my bed, mouth gaping open in an empty scream. My hair was clumped together in wet bundles. I felt the water dripping off my face.

Turning, I saw Xeyrus standing next to my soaked bed, a grey pail in hand.

"What the heck was that for?!" I demanded, furious.

"You wouldn't wake up," he replied, "but you said you were coming"

"I said in a few minutes" I said.

"You've been saying that for the last hour" He pointed out.

I had no memory of it. _Was I sleep-talking?_ I wondered.

Sighing, I pulled my wet blanket off my body.

"Well now you've ruined my bed" I said.

"It'll dry" He replied simply, walking out of the room. "Hurry it up, will you?"

After getting out of my soaked pajamas and into my regular hunting clothes I made my way down the stairs. Xeyrus waited in the kitchen, leaning against the counter.

"You ready?" He asked.

"Yeah" I said, a hint of anger in my voice.

"You have no reason to be mad at me." He said, "You got out of bed, didn't you? Plus you didn't have to take a shower this morning"

"I still took one" I pointed out.

"I know." He replied, "But it was a waste of time"

I sighed as we left through the front door, "Where's Octavia and Nello?" I asked.

"Still asleep." He replied, "They don't have anything to do until the tournament starts"

"Then why couldn't we sleep in?"

"Because if we find something then they won't even have to go to tournament"

"Octavia'd probably still go anyways"

He paused, "I guess." He replied, "Well we're awake now, no point in crying over spilled milk"

I sighed, realizing that it was pointless to argue.

"Are you mad?" He asked, as if he didn't know.

"What would make you think that?" I asked sarcastically, frustrated.

"Your sigh." He replied, "You sounded annoyed"

"Well yeah." I said, "But it's pointless arguing with you"

He didn't reply.

"Ready to run?" He asked.

"I think I'll take the bus" I replied.

"Do they run this early?" He asked.

"I'm pretty sure they run twenty-four hours a day"

"That's an entire day"

"No duh"

"The 'a day' part at the end wasn't necessary, because it's just the whole day"

"Why are you still talking?" I asked sternly.

"I'm just trying to be helpful" He replied.

"Well you're not doing a very good job" I pointed out.

"I think I'll just run. You can take the bus"

"Sounds like a plan"

I waited by the bus stop on the corner of the street while he ran ahead. I looked around, seeing that the sun had barely started to rise. _How early is it?_ I wondered. Glancing at my scroll, I saw that it was still very early. Earlier than I woke up on a regular work day.

The bus pulled up, coming to a halt in front of me. I climbed on and took a seat. Most of the seats were empty due to the fact that no one in their right mind would be up this early.

The bus came up a few feet from the house. I hopped off and started towards it. Xeyrus was nowhere in sight, which I was happy for.

Inside the control room I started searching. By now the place stunk of rotting corpses and dried blood.

"What are you doing?" Someone asked. I turned. It was Xeyrus.

"Searching, duh" I replied.

"We already searched through this" He pointed out.

"Well maybe we missed something" I suggested.

He didn't move for a moment.

"Well, don't just stand there." I said, "Get over here and help"

Hesitantly he walked over, then swept all the poorly organized papers onto the floor with his arm.

"What is wrong with you?" I asked.

"We already searched that." He said, "Remember?"

"We could have missed something!"

He didn't reply. Instead he scanned the room.

I smacked him across the cheek, "Hey!" I called, "What's wrong with you?"

He rubbed his cheek, turning an irritated gaze on me, then slapped me across the face.

"Well, sorry for trying to be efficient." He said as I hit the ground. I was so shocked I'd lost focus and fallen. He held out his hand, "Don't hit me again" He said.

I slapped it away and stood. "I can stand on my own, thanks"

"I'm just trying to help" He said.

"You want to help?" I asked, "How about you get some common courtesy? Some decent morals? How about you just be a decent person for a change?"

"That's harsh." He said, "I didn't ask you to point out my flaws. You don't see me listing off all of yours"

"I'd like to hear this list" I said.

He sighed, "You're lazy, unskilled, unprofessional, immodest, unintelligent, inefficient, and cruel. Is that enough?"

"Cruel?" I asked, "Why, because I slapped you?"

He didn't reply.

"You know, I think you're the cruel one here"

"Why is that?" He asked.

"Oh, I don't know," I started sarcastically, "maybe it's because you refused to help any of us until after Beacon. Maybe it's because you barely participate in the team's activities. Or maybe it's because you left me for dead in Emerald Forest!"

My voice echoed through the room.

Xeyrus looked past me, "We need to go." He said, "Now" He grabbed my arm and started to pull.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" I asked, ripping my arm from his grasp. "You know what you did. Why?"

"We have to go" He said.

"Don't change the subject!" I yelled, "Answer me!"

He pulled himself close to my face and stared me dead in the eyes, "We have to go. Now"

I pushed him back, "Get away from me." I said, "We came here for information, so get off your ass and let's get looking"

"I won't let you go" He said.

"Oh yeah?" I asked, "Then why did you?"

He hesitated, "I don't believe that I understand"

"Why did you just leave me with that Ursa?"

"Are you still on about that?" He asked, "We have to go" He reached out to grab my arm. I pushed his hand away.

"Yes, I'm still on that." I reached down and popped one of my legs off, just where my black leggings stopped at my mid-thigh. "You did this to me. You left me for dead, and now I don't even have real legs. I'll be in debt for the rest of my life! Do you really think that I'd just let that go?"

"It's an improvement if you ask me" He said.

That's when I snapped. Attaching my leg back to my thigh, I charged, drawing Cratorus 2.0. I tackled him to the ground, pointing one end of my spear at his neck.

"I lost my family for this!" I screamed, "Because of you! I was disowned because of you! Why?! Why did you leave me?!" I felt tears falling down my face, "I thought you were my partner"

He pushed me off himself and stood, "Get off me." He said, "Don't you remember what I told you about attacking me?"

I stayed where I was, whimpering as the memories flooded back…

_"__She's still alive! Hurry! She's losing a lot of blood!" Unfamiliar voices spoke._

_"__Azure, hang on a little longer!" That was my mother's voice._

_I was lying on my back and moving forward without my control. I barely knew what was going on. My body rocked slightly as I raced down the hallway. _

_I raised my hand, looking at it through clouded eyes. It was pale, paler than I'd ever seen it. Someone else's hands wrapped around my own. It was my mother's. Turning my head, I faintly saw her crying and running next to me, holding my hand. _

_"__Ma'am, please let go." The unknown voice came again, "I know it's hard, but we need to move quickly if we want to stop the bleeding"_

_Slowly I felt the warmth leave my hand. _

_"__I'll be right here" Mother said. _

_I felt a sudden jolt as I passed through double doors, then I was out again. _

"Come on," Xeyrus said, snapping me out of my dream briefly, "we should get going"

I stayed where I was, not moving other than the slight shaking of my shoulders. That fateful day flooded back to me, regardless of whether I wanted it to or not.

_"__Wha-what's going on?" I muttered, consciousness returning to me. _

_"__She's awake, Mrs. Blaze" I heard the unfamiliar voice yet again. _

_"__Oh my gosh! You're okay!" My mother's voice. My vision was slowly returning to me. _

_"__Where am I?" I groaned. _

_"__The hospital." The unknown voice, which I now realized was a doctor, said, "You lost your legs to an Ursa"_

_Slowly I sat up, barely able to support my own weight with my arms. I glanced down, seeing nothing but red stubs sticking out from under my hospital gown. They were dry now, but some droplets of blood were scattered on the stretcher by what was left of my legs. I gasped, almost falling back over. _

_"__Can anything be done to fix this?" I asked. _

_"__Yes," the doctor replied, "we can install robotic legs. However, it's very expensive"_

_"__I'll take it." I said, "I need to get back to Beacon"_

_Mother gasped, "You don't seriously plan on returning, do you?" She asked. _

_"__Of course I do!" I replied. _

_She hesitated, fear spreading across her face, "Let's talk about this for a minute" She finally said, then turned to the doctor and asked for privacy. He relocated me to a new room, and my mother joined me._

_"__Azure, you don't really want to return, after all that?" Mother asked. _

_"__Yes, I do" I replied. _

_"__But look what happened to you." She started. "What the Grimm can do"_

_"__It only increases my desire to be a huntress" I said. _

_"__No, I need to keep you safe" _

_"__Mom!" I burst out, "Do you even know me? Ever since I was a kid I've wanted to be a huntress! I'm not letting an injury take that dream away!"_

_"__An injury?!" Mother exploded, "Azure, your crippled!" _

_"__It's just a flesh-wound" I said, half joking, half serious. _

_"__Don't joke with me" She said. _

_I didn't reply. _

_"__I care about your safety, Azure" She added. _

_"__Well I don't care about my safety." I retorted, "The role of a huntress is to ensure the safety of others, not their own"_

_"__I don't want to go through the pain of losing you. I don't think that you should return"_

_"__Well I don't care what you think!" _

_Mother sighed, finally giving in. "Fine." She said, standing and walking out the door. She stopped in the open doorway, hand on the doorknob. "But know that if you ever return home…" She hesitated, but continued, turning her head enough to see me out of the corner of her eye, "that you are _not_ welcome"_

_I didn't move. I stared at the ground and felt the tears starting to roll down my cheeks. _

_Mother slammed the door behind her, and I never saw her again._

* * *

**So there you have it. A more complete version of Azure's back story. I actually wrote it as a comic book originally, and this was the last little bit of that story. What'd you guys think of that? I prefer the flashback over just a simple explanation personally. **

**Xeyrus is kind of a jerk too, eh? When he finally has dialogue he's just a little annoying. **

**Also, The Candidates is well under way. This past weekend I stayed up until midnight editing it. I still have one chapter left, so hopefully I'll get that done as early as tonight, then start posting as early as tomorrow. My plan is to post one chapter every day or two, just so that I can avoid spoiling the whole story in HellFall. For those of you who are unaware, The Candidates is the back story of Dennis Soldier, whom I believe I introduced a while back. **

**It feels like I really haven't written in a while. I guess I did this weekend, but otherwise I'm almost out of chapters. I've been so busy lately with my blog, school, and this.**

**Speaking of my blog, here's an advertisement for it. Hey, do you have facebook? Do you like movies, TV shows, and/or video games? Then go like my blog, SquigglyCrunch, on facebook! I'm also going to be starting up a YouTube channel soon for video reviews, so check that out if your interested! (Read this in an excited advertiser voice, otherwise it's not as appealing)**

**Anyways, that's about it. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter (and in The Candidates)!**


	75. Azure II Chapter 7

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Well, this is an awfully late chapter. Why, you may ask? Well, on Monday I got pretty sick, and one of my symptoms included a monster of a headache, so staring at a screen and reading/editing really didn't feel particularly good. I still have a headache, but it's not as bad anymore. Hopefully I'll be completely fine by the end of the week. Sorry about all that, my immune system just hates me. **

**Anyways, you lovely people have waited long enough, so here you go.**

* * *

"Azure Blaze!" Xeyrus yelled, "Get up, let's go!" I heard him sigh heavily.

I stood, but didn't turn around.

"You've cost me more than you yourself have ever owned." I said, "A lifetime of finances, a partner, a home, and a family"

"Well that's an unfair assumption." He said, "I mean, I do have a home, as well as two brothers and a sister"

I gripped Cratorus 2.0, squeezing its shaft. No more talking. He wouldn't listen.

I spun around, stabbing my spear forward. The weapon made its mark in his chest. His eyes widened, and blood spewed from his mouth, splattering over my face.

"What is wrong with you, Azure?" He asked.

"What's wrong with me?" I asked, "What's wrong with you?!" I ripped the spear from his body and took up a battle stance.

He stumbled backwards, hand over his wound. "What's wrong with me?" He asked, "Lots of things, but I wouldn't stab my own partner for no reason!"

"You're not my partner!" I screamed, charging again.

I swung my spear, slamming it against his forearm as he blocked the attack.

I drew it back, transforming it into a gun, taking aim, and pulling the trigger. A bullet flew out, blowing a hole through his forearm. Blood oozed out as he fell to his knees, struggling to hold all his wounds closed. I could tell that his entire aura was focused on healing himself.

Completely consumed with hate, I pulled the trigger again, firing a bullet into the ceiling thanks to the recoil. Quickly adjusting my gun, I fired again. And again. And again. I kept shooting until the magazine was empty. Where I hit him or if I even did was unknown to me.

I kept pulling the trigger, but all that I heard was a small clicking sound. And yet I kept pulling. I felt my anger seep away, suddenly being taken over by sadness. Cratorus 2.0 fell from my hands, crashing to the floor. I fell to my knees, beginning to cry. _What have I done?_ I thought, covering my face with my hands.

Soon the realization came to me. I scrambled to Xeyrus, now lying on his back. I saw now that I'd shot his arm, left shoulder, left thigh, and neck.

"No, Xeyrus!" I called, pressing my hands against his neck wound, pouring out my aura in the hopes of stopping the bleeding.

To no avail.

The blood surged out, coating my hands and clothes.

"Xeyrus!" I cried, "Don't go! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" I apologized over and over, hoping somehow that would bring him back.

To no avail.

I pushed all my strength into his neck wound, and finally I felt the bleeding slow. Still, I kept pressing. Minutes dragged by before I dared to relieve any pressure. When I finally did I found that the wound had stopped bleeding, but a huge pool of blood had formed all around him. His neck and cheeks were soaked crimson, and his clothes were darkened and heavy with blood.

I reached out to pick him up, but was worried that he'd start bleeding again, so I decided against it. _What do I do?_ I finally wondered, staring at his lifeless body before me. _I did this, what do I do now?_

I hunched over his body, closing my eyes and covering my face with my hands. They were covered in blood, but I didn't care. I began to sob again, eventually falling over next to him and losing consciousness. By what means, I didn't know. But I didn't really care either.

* * *

I awoke some time later. Sitting up, I looked around, forgetting where I was. I saw Xeyrus's corpse next to me and gasped, but didn't cry. The reality of the situation had sunk in, and now I needed to figure out what to do next.

Standing, I brushed the dirt off my clothes. My hands were covered in dried blood. I checked the time on my scroll, noting that it was past midday, which meant that Octavia and Nello had already left.

I sighed, pocketing the device and looking down at Xeyrus.

_Now what?_ I thought, looking around the room. I noticed that all the corpses from before were gone, which was a little shocking. Even the floors had been cleaned. I paused, wondering if Rocco's goons had been here recently.

As I pushed the thought from my mind, my eyes found the elevator. _I guess that I could leave him with the other corpses_, I thought. While it made me feel terrible to just leave him, I didn't know what else to do. If I told Octavia or Nello it wouldn't go down well at all.

Turning, I grabbed Xeyrus's arms and dragged him across the ground to the elevator, only to remember that it had fallen when I'd first met Gazini.

Sighing, I looked around, finally settling on hiding him under the control counter. I tucked him under and started towards the exit. Glancing at my hands, I wondered how to clean the blood off. Ultimately I spat on my palms and rubbed them together. The blood faded, but they weren't well-cleaned at all.

_It'll have to do I guess_, I thought, leaving the building. The streets weren't horribly busy, thankfully. Everyone was working.

Nevertheless, I ran home. I didn't want to risk anyone seeing me covered in blood. I got a few glances, but nothing that made me worry too much.

Octavia and Nello had already left when I returned home.

I immediately went upstairs and took a hot shower. The blood fell off my body and sank into the drain, turning the water red. I leaned against the wall, letting the water run over my body.

My head was full of thoughts of Xeyrus, and how stupid I had been. "I have no self-control." I said out loud. A moment after saying that I felt myself begin to cry weakly. I tried to stop, but I was so ashamed of myself. "No wonder my mother left" I said.

Finally straightening, I stared at the tiled wall, sucking in a breath through my nose, then letting it out through my mouth. Drops of water flew from my lips. I repeated the process I few times, breathing in and out, eventually calming down.

"Okay," I said, "What will I say? The truth?" I shook my head, "No, that won't go down well. I'll say that we were ambushed by Gale"

I thought about it for a moment, then realized that that was a dumb idea. Octavia would probably ask me what she looked like. She'd seen her herself, but couldn't remember it too well. She'd be curious, plus she's bound to remember at least something about her. "What about Cinder?" I said, "We know that the Falls are involved, and everyone knows what she looks like" I nodded to myself, satisfied with my excuse. The thought of telling the truth popped back into my head, but I shoved it aside.

* * *

**So there you have it. Azure's not a happy lady, clearly. **

**Good news, The Candidates is out! Actually, I've almost finished posting it. I've been able to post it while I was sick because all the chapters are already edited, so I just have to select each one and click 'post', so it's way easier to do. But give The Candidates a look before you get the whole story spoiled to you in HellFall, because it's playing a much bigger role than I expected it to. **

**Anyways, my brain is starting to hurt so I'll wrap it up there. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	76. Violet II Chapter 4

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**I was so surprised to see my update reminder today because it feels like I updated only a day or two ago. Then I realized that, of course, I did, so thankfully this chapter's on time. **

* * *

I was looking around, wondering if Lleu Thunder had even showed up today. Maybe it would just be Gazini.

"Are you sure he's here?" Nello asked from behind me.

"Why are you still here?" I asked, "Remember, I told you to watch"

"You said to watch from close by." He pointed out, "So I need to figure out where you're going to be and then sit down around there"

"Right" I replied, knowing that he was just that, right, and continued walking.

Soon enough, I saw Lleu, sitting where he had the day before, watching the fighting intently.

"There he is." I said, "Go find a place nearby, and check back every once in a while"

"Alright" He said, disappearing into the crowd.

As I made my way past all the people watching the tournament Lleu looked down at me and waved. I waved back, struggling to push past the swarms of people. He stood and offered his hand as I got closer, pulling me past the last of them.

"There we go." He said, letting my hand go, "You alright?"

"Yeah, of course." I replied, "Just a lot of people"

He smiled, nodding, "So what brings you today? I suppose that it's not the fights"

I glanced back at the arena, "It's a plus." I replied, then turned back to him, "But you're right, I'm here on business"

Lleu smiled, "Okay, well come on then." He stepped back, "Take a seat" As he sat down he revealed Gazini Void seated next to him.

I sat down on his other side, hoping to avoid the red-head altogether.

"So," he started, "you're considering the position I presented to you, yes?"

I nodded, "Correct, Lleu." I replied, "But I'd like a little more information"

"Well-" He started.

"We're forming a taskforce to combat a potential, and very likely, threat to Atlas, and potentially all of Remnant. Anything else is classified" Gazini interrupted, likely anticipating Lleu slipping up and revealing too much.

Lleu paused, "That" He said.

"Are you sure there isn't anything else you can say?" I asked, "That's really not a lot to go on"

Lleu opened his mouth to speak, but Gazini cut him off yet again. "No" He replied simply.

"Oh come on, Gazini," Lleu said, "lighten up a little. The lady wants more info, and I think that she could be a valuable asset"

"Thunder," he started, "I know she's attractive, but don't let that get the best of you. This is top-secret, remember?"

"Well yes, but-" He started.

"But nothing." Gazini said sharply, staring him dead in the eyes, "I'm in charge of this operation, remember that"

"Actually you aren't." Lleu pointed out, "I am. I asked you to accompany me"

Gazini sighed, "So you're going to risk her being an enemy spy, learning our secrets, and using them against us?" He asked, "Fine by me, commander"

Lleu hesitated, realizing this. He turned to me with jerking motions, "Yeah," he said, "sorry, but he's right. Unfortunately that's all that I can offer up at this time"

I paused, unsure of how to appropriately act in this situation. There was no getting past Gazini, I knew that. And chances are that Lleu wouldn't talk with the reasoning that he just received. Finally deciding that perhaps it was time to give up, I was about to wish him a good day when I suddenly decided to ask one last question.

"Who are you fighting?" I asked.

"The Falls" Lleu replied absent-mindedly, and almost immediately too. Gazini smacked his arm.

"Dammit Thunder!" He yelled, "Look what you just did"

"Well she doesn't look like a Fall, does she?" Lleu asked, turning to him, "She's not Cinder, and she's definitely not Rain. We locked him up, remember?"

"Shut up!" Gazini commanded, "Jeez Thunder, just be quiet!"

_They have Rain in custody?_ I thought, _This is new_.

Lleu turned to me, "Sorry," he said, "is that enough info to convince you at least?"

I smiled politely, "Unfortunately no, sorry. I don't think that I'd be capable of taking out a Fall"

"O-okay" Lleu said.

"Have a good day gentlemen" I said, turning and leaving. I heard them start arguing quietly as I walked away.

I scanned the area for Nello, my gaze settling on his orange hair rather quickly. Slowly I made my way down to him and sat down in the seat to his right.

"Any luck?" he asked upon seeing me sit.

"Not much." I replied, "They have Rain in custody though"

"Rain Fall?" He asked, surprised.

"Not so loud." I said, "And yes, that's what it sounded like"

"So what are you thinking?" He asked.

I paused, then turning my head to him, "I'm thinking that we sneak in and have a little chat with him"

"When?" He asked.

I shrugged, "Now would work"

"No," He said, "If they see us leave, it'll be suspicious"

"Right," I replied, "Thanks Nello. We have until the end of the tournament then. That's when they'll be out"

"Won't the security be pretty tight without them?" Nello asked.

"Maybe." I replied, "But they won't be there at least. They're the two leaders of the whole operation"

"So it'll just be guards anyways" He said.

"Precisely." I said, waiting for a moment, "If we get inside we could probably get a look at their folder too. The Plan H one that Azure mentioned"

"Right," Nello said, "that would be a good idea"

"We'll watch a few more fights maybe, then head home. I'm sure that Xeyrus and Azure will be done by then."

* * *

**So there you have it. I realized that I hadn't fully resolved that whole chase with Rain after Bleddyn died, so I figured that this would be a nice way to wrap that up I guess. **

**As of today The Candidates is finished. The last chapter just went up today, so you should check that out if you haven't already. It's only eight chapters long, so it's not horribly time-consuming either. **

**Anyways, not a whole lot to say yet again. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	77. Orange II Chapter 2

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**I almost forgot to update today. Luckily I have a reminder set on my phone. I've done so much of nothing lately that it's hard to remember anything really, which I know sounds funny. Nothing to do, including think apparently. **

**Anyways, the chapters should be coming at their usual time each day starting next week. Now, let's get to it, this chapter is pretty decent (and important, of course). **

* * *

I awoke to a slight beeping. My vision was blurry and my hearing was clouded, but I could make out a distinct beeping somewhere in the background.

Slowly my sight began to return to me. I saw nothing but white, any details were too difficult to see.

As my senses returned to me, I realized that I was lying flat on my back, and that I was elevated above the ground. The white that I could see appeared to be a ceiling, so I hadn't missed out on any details when I'd first seen it anyway. I felt bed sheets of some kind under my hands, which rested by my sides.

I heard a sound, an opening and closing door. Then someone appeared next to me.

"You're awake." She said. I assumed she was a doctor. "Can you talk?"

I tried, but it didn't work. I couldn't even groan.

"Hmm," she said, "okay. Can you hear? Blink twice if yes"

I blinked twice with relative ease, which I figured was a good sign.

She nodded, "Good," She started, "So, in case you're confused, you were injected with poison. Don't worry, it's not deadly. It causes paralysis, and powerful paralysis at that. We've almost got it all out of your system, so you should be out of here pretty quickly"

I didn't move or respond in any way. I couldn't, even if I wanted to.

The doctor walked to my other side, to the source of the beeping. "Heart rate is steady." She said, "That's a good sign. Poison is at ten percent." She turned back to me, "Not much longer, Ember" At that she walked out the door.

I stayed where I was, staring at where the ceiling and wall met. I had been able to move my head a little, but only enough to see the doctor's head. I leaned back against my pillow, allowing myself to slip into sleep.

* * *

When I awoke my senses had all completely returned to me. I could see the ceiling clearly now, the beeping and sounds of the hospital were much clearer. And the whole place stunk.

Slowly I sat up, immediately seeing a familiar face. It was Wintanweoth, sitting in a chair in the corner reading a book. He looked up when I did.

"You're awake" He said.

"Yeah." I replied, surprised by my voice, "Looks that way" I looked down at myself, seeing a pale blue hospital gown covering my body.

"You okay?" He asked.

I nodded, "Yeah," I replied, suddenly noticing my feet. The robotic ones were gone, replaced by real feet. I almost cried out, "W-what happened?" I asked, suddenly terrified and pointing at my feet. I wiggled my toes, shrieking a little in fear and excitement.

"I'm sorry." Wintanweorth said, placing his book on his lap, "I had your robotic limbs replaced while you were asleep"

"With real limbs?" I asked, "And you're apologizing?"

"No," he replied, "they're still robotic. But your old ones weren't doing you any good"

"They were fine" I pointed out.

"No, they really weren't." He replied, "The technology was dated in the old ones, and ready to break. That wouldn't have been helpful." He paused for barely a second, "Also, the nerves that were connected to the mechanical limbs were under tremendous stress due to the increasing size of your body. Needless to say Ember, you've grown out of them"

I didn't reply.

"Your new limbs are made with biotechnology, so they'll grow with your body"

I turned my attention back to my feet, mesmerized. I looked at my hands, shocked at how real they looked. I poked my palm and felt it. It felt like real skin. "What about the weapons?" I asked suddenly, "Are they still there?"

"Yes." He replied, "According to the doctors it was hard to get them exactly right, but for the most part they are right where you left them"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"Give it a try"

I looked at my hands, then activated my wrist blades. Suddenly a long, thick needle-like blade extended from my palm. I jumped, surprised. It wasn't on the wrist anymore.

"Is it possible to change it back?" I asked.

"Trust me, Ember." He started, "You don't want the other ones back. They were about to fall off"

"No," I replied, "I mean can I get the blades on my wrists? And not in this shape"

He sighed, standing and walking over to me, "I did ask them. They said it was impossible. Sorry"

"Don't be." I said, "I'll just have to change the way I swing a little, get used to not cutting stuff anymore. I'll be fine." I hesitated, worried, "What about the guns? And whips?"

"The whips are still in the exact same place." He replied, "The guns, not so much"

I raised my hand, but kept it a decent ways away from my face. At first I didn't notice anything, then I saw my fingertips open up, revealing tiny gun barrels at each end.

"Whoa." I gasped, "Where are the bullets stored?"

"You'll have to talk to the doctor about that." He replied, "Do you want me to call him in?"

I nodded, "Yes, please"

He smiled, "I'll be right back" he said, turning and walking out the door. Moments later he reappeared, a man in a white coat in tow.

"Ember," he started, reappearing in front of me, "I'd like you to meet Dr. Tress. He's the inventor of your limbs"

I looked up at the man. He had neatly combed pale grey hair, but his face showed that he was much younger than this color let on. He had tan skin and yellow eyes. He held a clipboard in one hand, and the other hung out awkwardly by his side. I noticed that he was hunched over slightly too.

"It's a pleasure to meet you ma'am." He said, "I would shake your hand, but alas, I have none to offer"

"It's fine." I replied, "The pleasure's all mine" I glanced at his free hand, but knew that he must've had a reason for not using it, so I didn't pursue it.

"So," he started, "I understand that you have questions, naturally. I'm here to answer them for you"

"Yes, um," I stammered, "I'm wondering where I'd store the bullets for the gun, and where I'd be able to get rounds that small"

"Oh, it's quite simple." He replied, "You'd use regular dust. Not manufactured into bullets or anything. Each barrel is able to fire a handful of dust particles each." He placed the clipboard on a nearby table, then reached out and took my hand, "You see," he held my wrist and stroked the top of it, opening a hatch along my wrist, "you simply pour the dust in here," he pointed to a small funnel in the middle, "it gets compacted into small bullets while in there, then fires out at will. Understand?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I think so." I replied, "How do you open that hatch though?"

"For you," he started, "the same way you extend the blade, just think it. For me, I know a few tricks" He smiled at that.

I forced a smile, then returned my attention to my wrist. I opened and closed the hatch just for fun.

"One more thing," he said, "unfortunately the false skin and paint on the metal isn't permanent. So it can scratch off"

"I'll keep that in mind" I replied, not even looking up. I did when he stood to leave.

"I hope it suits you well, Miss Bronze" He said.

"Thank you, Dr. Tress" I said, watching him as he turned to leave. The sleeve of his awkward arm shifted as he turned, pulling it back and revealing the paw of an armadillo.

* * *

**So there you have it. New limbs for Ember, which is kind of nice, eh? No need to imagine bulky orange hands and feet on her anymore. Now she'll look pretty normal. And she has slightly new weapons, too. **

**Anyways, I have absolutely nothing to say actually. No new updates or anything, which I guess is something. If you haven't already, check out The Candidates because I'll be building on it in future chapters, and it'll be beneficial to you as the reader if you read it. **

**And as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	78. Orange II Chapter 3

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Mondays are pretty terrible right? Why I chose today of all days may be confusing, but for a while it was one of the only days of my week where I wasn't busy. I just thought I'd give ya'll a little fun fact 'cause I've got nothing else to say. **

**Anyways, this chapter continues straight away off of last week's chapter, so you may need to check back with the previous chapter again just to jog your memory. Unless you have a great memory, then you have a skill that I don't, and I'm envious of you. Enjoy!**

* * *

Dr. Tress quickly covered his awkward arm again and, without acknowledging it, stepped out of the room.

When he was out of earshot I turned to Wintanweorth. I was about to ask him if he'd seen it when I saw his face. He'd obviously seen it.

"What do you think is wrong?" I asked.

He sighed, "I think that to any normal person you'd sound like a racist." He replied, "But that wasn't normal"

"Any ideas?" I asked.

He shook his head, "Birth defect?" He inquired, "Maybe his parents were a little wonky? I don't know. Whatever it is, though, it's not important. Some people are just unlikely"

"Or different." I added, "You sound like a racist"

He smiled.

"So do you think I'll be able to get out of here?" I asked.

Wintanweorth paused, "I think that they mentioned that as soon as you could walk" He replied.

I adjusted myself and planted my new feet against the floor. I could feel the cold surface of the tiles. I knew it was fake, but my heart skipped a beat. I turned to Wintanweorth, who just smiled.

"What is it?" He asked.

"The floor." I replied, "It's cold"

It took him a second, but face slowly showed understanding. "How does it feel?" He asked.

I smiled, "It's a little chilly" I replied.

He snickered, but didn't say anything.

Slowly I stood. It was hard to be this perfectly balanced on my feet again. It'd been far too long since I'd felt anything in my feet. I took a step. It was awkward, but I did it nonetheless.

"You're a natural" Wintanweorth commented jokingly.

"I haven't walked on real feet in years." I said, "It looks like I haven't completely forgotten"

"You know they aren't real though" He pointed out.

"Of course" I replied, taking another step.

Next thing I knew I was walking down the hallway. I was a little shaky, but I managed. Wintanweorth followed after me.

By the time I'd reached the end of the hallway I'd pretty much mastered walking normally again.

"Looks like I've still got it" I said. I realized how funny that sounded. I said it like it was some sport that I hadn't played in years and only just picked up again.

"You wanna head outside?" Wintanweorth asked.

I nodded, "Yes" I replied.

Outside I sat on the grass, feeling it between my toes and fingers. Wintanweorth sat next to me. He was staring at his scroll.

"Thank you" I said.

He looked up, "No problem" He said.

"I know that this must've cost you a fortune" I added.

"Well, yes." He replied, "But trust me, your worth more than that"

I smiled, reaching out and taking his hand in my own. His eyes stayed on the screen of his scroll, but he squeezed back.

He looked up, shoving his scroll back into his pocket, and making eye contact with me. He simply smiled.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw someone walk out the door of the hospital. Turning my attention to it, I saw Grizzly. He was wearing a pale blue hospital gown, and walked on crutches. I stood, and so did Wintanweorth.

"Grizzly!" I called, almost falling over again.

He turned, and I saw his face. There was something different. He was pale, and his eyes were only half open. The usual smile didn't cover his face. He smiled weakly and started towards us. I decided to save him the trouble to run straight to him.

Running was a little awkward, but I still managed just fine.

"Hey Grizzly." I said, "How're you doing?"

He shrugged, "I'm fine, I guess." He replied. His voice was low, and lacking the usual perkiness and excitement it usually had. "How're you feeling?"

"Pretty great," I replied, raising my hand, "check this out"

He smiled, "You got your hands back?" He asked.

"New hands." I replied, "Still robotic, though"

"That's cool" he said.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

He paused, "Do you think we could sit down somewhere?"

"Of course." I replied, "Come on. I'll carry you"

"You don't need to-" He started. I cut him off as I pulled him into the air and brought him to where Wintanweorth and I had sat earlier. He was still there, standing in the same place.

I set him down on the ground and sat.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Well," he started, "other than the fact that I'm kind of dying, I'm a little tired"

"You're dying?" Wintanweorth asked.

"Not actually." He replied, "I just feel like hell"

We both sighed with relief, "Well that's good"

"Apparently the poison got to my brain, so they had to drug me a little to get it out." He replied, "So I'm just a little, or a lot, out of it"

At that moment I saw someone approaching from the road. It was Roy.

"Roy!" I called.

He came and sat down with us, "Hello," he said, "how are you two doing?"

"I'm fine." I said, "But Grizzly isn't feeling too good"

Roy turned to him, "How are you doing?" He asked.

"Just what she said." He replied, "I'm a little out of it"

Roy turned to Wintanweorth, who shook his head, then turned to Grizzly, "When can you leave the hospital?" He asked.

"Anytime" He replied, "I've already been discharged"

"Cool." Wintanweorth said, "Should we head back to the base?"

"Sure" Grizzly said, taking his green cloak and draping it over his body. I hadn't even noticed him holding it. He'd had it wrapped up and stuffed into one of his crutches.

"I'll carry you" I told him, standing.

"No thanks." He said, "You've already carried me twice. Not a pleasant experience"

I smiled, "Right" I replied.

Roy ended up carrying him, and Wintanweorth carried his crutches. I was able to get my orange coat and jeans back from the hospital, but they'd cut my shirt off and disposed of it when I'd first arrived. They also returned my dog tags, which Wintanweorth had given me when we'd first met. They belonged to the woman who'd burned down the Nalakian village. They read 'Pyre Fall' followed by some numbers. I wore it to remind myself of that day. Of the woman, and of the second chance that I'd received.

"What do you dog tags say?" Grizzly asked me as we walked down the street, as if reading my mind without being able to see the specifics of what I had thought.

"Hmm?" I asked, "Oh, Pyre Fall. The name of the woman who burned down my village"

"Your village?" He asked.

"Yes," I replied, "I'm from the same village as Wintanweorth"

"Oh." He said, "That would explain it"

"Explain what?" I asked.

"The tattoos." He replied, "I don't know, I always thought that they were related somehow"

I smiled, "Well," I started, "you thought right"

"Pyre Fall." He said, "There's that name again. Yet another Fall to deal with"

"I guess so" I replied. I hadn't even thought of that. I rarely ever even looked at the tags, but they certainly changed things a little.

We reached the Atlas military base and made our way down to our room. I wanted to tell Gazini about Pyre, but he wasn't around.

We sat down on our individual bunks. I sighed, lying down and rubbing my feet against the blankets. It felt so soft.

"I have a confession to make." Roy said suddenly. All eyes fell on him. "I'm not a human"

* * *

**So here we go. The big confession. Just so that you guys don't get excited for whatever reason the next chapter isn't an Orange II one again. I just figured that it wouldn't be important to basically just write about how everyone reacts because we already had Wintanweorth do it, this time there'll just be more people. I just thought that it'd be a waste of time and a chapter. **

**Anyways, again, not much to say. I really haven't done a lot of writing recently, but I'm really hoping that I can finish up this part of the story pretty quick here. And as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	79. Crimson II Chapter 13

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**So last week's chapter was extremely late. Sorry about that, I actually edited and saved the chapter on my account, but I forgot to post it. Then I tried to edit the chapter explaining that but for some reason it didn't go through. Unless it did (although I checked last week), in which case this is just repetition. **

**IMPORTANT: Hope that got your attention. If you haven't already read The Candidates, the side story of HellFall, but would like to, then I suggest you do it now. In this chapter they play a somewhat important role, and you'd be better off reading it first, if you haven't already. But otherwise, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

"Oh, Gazini." Thunder said, looking up from the newspaper as he walked by, "Just the man I wanted to see"

I blinked awake. I'd been napping in one of the chairs in the military base on our floor. "Hmm?" I asked.

"I looked into the Freeze and Stars families." He started, "They line up"

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked.

"Don't you remember?" He asked, "Maud Freeze and Hawksbill Stars. The trials? Any of this ringing a bell?"

I paused to think, then remembered, "Oh, right." I replied, "That"

"So did you look into the Witch and Simms families yet?"

"…No" I replied.

Thunder sighed, "Gazini, you need to do your job. You know that"

"Sorry," I replied, "Been a little busy"

"With what?" Thunder asked, "Napping in my chair?"

"I'll get on it right away" I said, not moving.

"Alright, get going then" He said.

He walked off, and after a few moments I stood and started looking. It wasn't hard to find their contact information, or where they'd lived. It's not like they live in secrecy or anything.

I went to the Simms family residence first. They lived closest to the military base. Turns out, Mr. Alien Simms is a police officer locally.

I knocked on his door, and a young man answered. He had pale blue hair and equally pale, only white, skin. His face was covered in freckles, and he had deep green eyes. He was rather thin too.

"What is it?" He asked impatiently.

"Hi," I said, "I'm looking for Alien Simms"

The boy sighed a little, "'Kay, hold on." He turned to the inside of his house and yelled, "Dad! The door's for you!"

"I'm coming Dodger!" A voice called back.

"You're Dodger Simms?" I asked.

The boy turned back to me, "Yeah," He replied, "and you are?"

"Gazini Void." I replied, reaching out and shaking his hand. "It's a pleasure"

Dodger nodded hesitantly, "Okay, so what? You're another cop or something?"

Just then a man appeared at the door. He had a muscular build and pale skin. His hair was pale green, and his eyes were deep green, just like Dodger's. On the other hand, he didn't have the freckles that his son did.

"Hello, what can I help you with?" The man asked upon seeing me.

"Alien Simms?" I asked.

"Just Al is fine" He said.

"Okay," I said, "I need to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind"

"Not at all," Al replied, "Would you like to come in?"

"Uh, yes" I replied, stepping inside. I shuffled out of my shoes and left them by the front door.

"Here, come with me." Al said, walking past the staircase facing the front door. "Dodger, head upstairs"

"Actually I think that your son should sit in on this" I said.

Al hesitated, "What's this about?" He asked, placing his hands on his hips.

"It's…" I hesitated, hoping that it wasn't a sensitive topic, "…about Aero"

Al didn't speak for a second, then nodded and gestured for me to follow him, "Well, come on in then. Don't be shy. Dodger, you too"

I walked past the staircase and into his kitchen. Before me was a table, with a kitchen to the right and a living room to the left.

"You can sit down wherever." He said, "Do you want anything to drink?"

"I'm fine" I replied, taking a seat at the table. Dodger took a seat across from me. He didn't say anything. Al joined us shortly after, carrying three glasses of water that sat in the middle of the table the entire time.

"So what's this about?" Al asked, "You know something about my ex-wife?"

"Yes." I replied, "I understand that Aero died multiple years ago. Is that correct?"

"Yes" He replied.

"Do you know where she was going that day?"

"Well," he started, "she said there was a contest for… something big, and she was a contestant. So she went"

"Is that everything?" I asked.

He nodded, "The note she received was rather vague"

"A note?" I asked.

"Yes"

"Do you still have it?"

"I believe so"

"May I see it?"

"Of course." He turned to Dodger, "Go check the filing cabinet"

The boy stood and walked out of the room.

After a brief pause Al asked, "Are you investigating her death?"

"In a way." I replied, "I just need some info on her"

Dodger returned a moment later, an envelope in hand. He handed it to me and sat down.

"Thank you Dodger" I said, pulling the letter out and reading it over. It was a simple, but vague, letter. When I reached the end I saw that it was from Rocco Trask.

"Well?" Al asked, "Does it help?"

"Yes." I replied, "Do you know what happened to your wife after she left?"

"She was found dead the next day." Al replied, "That's all they ever found"

"The cause of death is unknown?" I asked.

"A bullet" He replied simply.

I nodded, trying to think about what to do with this information.

"I know where she went that day." I said, "She went to participate in trials for Rocco Trask. It was for him to be able to find the perfect solider and clone them to make the perfect army. Where was she found?"

Al didn't reply.

"Al?" I asked.

"On Steel Cliff, overlooking it" Dodger replied.

"Thank you Dodger"

"How do you know this?" Al asked.

"I'm working with the military on a particularly big case." I replied, "As it turns out, your wife was connected to Rocco Trask, whom we believe was involved in our case"

"Well where is he, then?" He asked, "We should get the police on this"

"He's dead." I replied, "I made sure of that"

Al looked down at the table, distraught. "What's this army?" He asked suddenly, looking back up.

"The army?" I asked, "I'm sorry, but I can't reveal anything more at this time"

"Is it a cause for concern?"

"For now, no." I replied, "We're working to make sure that it doesn't get worse"

"Should I be leaving Atlas?"

"I don't think that that will be necessary"

He didn't reply. "Could I be of help?" He asked. "I'm a cop"

"I know." I replied, "I'll contact you if-" and then the idea hit me. "Actually, do you have any hunting experience?"

"I attended Atlas academy." He replied, "Why? Could it help?"

"I think you could. Do you have a team?"

He nodded.

"Could you connect with them? We're assembling a team of hunters just in case. If you've kept up your hunting you could be helpful"

"I'll contact them." He said, "Thank you"

"No, thank you" I said, pulling my scroll out of my pocket.

"No, I mean, thank you for the info." He replied, "And for this opportunity"

"It's not a problem." I said, "You guys deserve to know. Here, get out your scroll"

We connected our scrolls and I stood to leave. "We'll keep in touch, alright?"

"Sounds like a plan" Al said.

"Thanks again" I said, heading to the front door and slipping into my shoes, then leaving.

Next up was the Witch family. They lived quite a ways away, so I'd brought my moped.

I knocked on the door, and a rather plump woman answered. "Hello?" She asked, "May I help you?"

"Yes," I said, "Mrs. Witch? I'm Gazini Void, I'm wondering if I could ask you a few questions"

"Okay," the woman replied, "What about?"

"Do you know what happened before your son, Cerberus, disappeared?"

"Disappeared?" She asked, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, where he was going before he died" I replied.

"Died? When?" She was obviously worried.

"Quite a few years ago." I replied, "Was it for a contest?"

"A contest?" She asked, "Well, yes, I remember that. But Cerberus came home a few days later. He didn't disappear"

"I'm sorry?" I asked, somewhat surprised, "He didn't die?"

"Well no," she replied, "in fact, I just talked to him yesterday"

"He was here?" I asked.

"Oh, sure." She said, "He came by to visit. He's been travelling a lot, you see"

"Do you know where he is now?" I asked.

"Oh," she sighed, "um, I think he said that he was going to be staying in town a while. He'll probably be back tonight, if you'd like to meet him"

"I'd appreciate that." I said, "When should I come by?"

"Any time after seven I'd say. I don't know when exactly. He's an unpredictable fella, my boy"

"Alright, thank you ma'am"

"Don't mention it." She said, "Is he in trouble?"

"I thought he was" I replied simply.

"Oh, okay" she said.

"I'll see you later then" I said, backing down her front stairs.

"Okay, bye" She closed the door as I turned around and started down the street.

_Thunder definitely needs to hear this_, I thought as I rode down the road to the military base.

* * *

**So there you have it. Not a whole lot of info, but Cerberus Witch lives. That's kinda important, right? **

**Fun fact: When I created all the characters for The Candidates I had the full intention of killing them all off, save for Dennis of course. But I liked Cerberus so much that I wanted to keep him alive. So I had to come up with a way in which he'd go about doing that, as well as what purpose he'd serve. Of course, I figured that out pretty quick and now here he is...in next week's chapter. Sorry folks, you'll have to wait another week for the Witch. **

**I haven't written in so long, which probably isn't a good thing. I'm hoping to finish up an old chapter tonight and maybe do another one, but I'm not entirely sure. Fingers crossed, I guess. **

**Anyways, that's about it. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	80. Crimson II Chapter 14

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Well that was weird. I saved the chapter, then I went back to edit it and everything was written in some weird code or something. If the chapter turns out to be like that when I post it, tell me, 'cause that's really weird. **

**Anyways, hopefully the chapter is readable, so enjoy!**

* * *

I arrived back at the military station as quickly as I could.

"Thunder!" I called, running out of the elevator. He was in the far room, talking to the file translators.

"What is it?" He asked, looking up.

"Cerberus Witch is alive" I replied, stopping in the doorway.

"What?" He asked.

"From the trials." I started, "Cerberus Witch. I talked to his mother, he's still alive"

"Really?" He asked.

I nodded.

"Well, can we talk to him?"

"She said to swing by tonight, so that's what I'm doing"

Thunder smiled, "Good. See what happens when you do your job, Void?"

I smiled, "Right."

He waved his hand, gesturing for me to enter the room, "Come in, check this out"

I stepped into the room. It was rectangular with cardboard brown walls and a single wooden table covered in paper in the middle. Four men sat around it, reading over various parts of the Plan H file.

"Find something?" I asked.

He nodded, "Locations." He replied, "The location of the trials was right under that building. I'm sure you know what I mean"

I nodded, "Yes, I believe so." I replied, "Speaking of locations, I know where the trials ended"

"Steel Cliff, right?" Thunder asked.

"Yes" I replied.

He smiled, "We're getting somewhere." He said, shaking his finger in excitement, "And now, see this." He showed me the file, "Aldbay, remember? Where you first found the file"

"Tell me something I don't know" I said.

"I was just getting to that." He said, looking over the page again, "Fairison. We haven't been there yet, have we?"

I shook my head, "I don't think so." I replied. "Anywhere else?"

"Cor Village." He said, "Um, Erio, too. That's it"

"That's it?"

He nodded.

"That's all you've gotten? Just locations?"

He handed me the paper, "Take a look for yourself" He said.

I read it over. Their base in Fairison, Cor Village, Erio, and Aldbay all came up. It also stated that Cor Village was the location of a valuable weapon, one that could supposedly remove someone's semblance. _Azure mentioned that_, I remembered. Apparently the location in Cor Village wasn't horribly important to the plan itself, but I still figured that it was worth checking out. Aldbay was their biggest base for non-Heishi soldiers, and was more used for revenue. The people who worked there were more gangsters than soldiers by the sounds of it. Fairison was the location of the newest cloning facility, and Erio was more of a meeting area.

"This is important" I said, handing the paper back to Thunder.

"It is." He replied, "We should get people out there immediately"

"I agree." I replied, "I'll take some people to Cor Village tomorrow"

"You got some people in mind?" He asked.

"I do"

"Part of the force?"

"Some of them"

He paused, "Sounds good." He finally said, "Who'll you need?"

"Team WRGE." I replied, "You can take anyone else if you want"

"You planning on bringing some outsiders?"

"I know some people who might want to see this"

"You know that Ember Bronze and Grizzlibear Karzen just got out of the hospital, right?"

"I hadn't heard, no." I replied, "But that's good to know. I'll let them know right away"

* * *

Team WRGE seemed fine with joining me to Cor Village. Ember and Grizzly had recovered completely, so they were ready to get back to work, despite the fact that they didn't really do much to begin with.

I contacted Azure, but no one answered. I figured that I should try in a couple hours, or the next day even.

That night I returned to the Witch residence. I knocked on the door, and Mrs. Witch answered.

"Good evening Mrs. Witch" I said.

"Oh please, just call me Demeter" She said.

"Demeter." I said, "What a lovely name"

"Oh thank you." She said, "Please, come in"

I stepped into her house, and she closed the door behind me. Before me was an open room with hardwood floors. There were two open doorways at the end of the room, and a set of stairs pressed against the left wall.

"Cerberus is just in the kitchen." Demeter said, "Come with me" She led me through the doorway on the left.

In this room were a round wooden table and four chairs which surrounded it. To the left was a wall, and to the right was the kitchen. I realized that the other door led to the kitchen, which was connected to the dining area.

At the table sat a very large man with long red hair that shined with gel and other hair products. He wore a black muscle shirt and black pants. He certainly wore the shirt for a reason, as he had extremely muscular arms bulging out from the sleeves, or lack of. A black and violet striped coat hung over the back of his chair. Two brown gloves covered in straps and clasps sat on the table next to him. The man himself had lightly tanned skin, eyes as red as his hair, and a rectangular chin.

He looked up as I entered, and I almost flinched.

"So you're the reporter?" He asked. His voice was deep and intimidating. I got the feeling that he didn't use it often, and felt slightly honored yet a little terrified to hear him speak.

"Uh," I stammered, trying to find my words, "um, no. I'm with the military. We're investigating a case"

"Mm" He grunted, then gestured with his eyes to the seat across from him.

I hesitated, then took a seat.

Demeter came by and dropped a cup of steaming tea in front of me. "Thank you" I said. She smiled, then dropped a similar cup in front of the large man, whom I assumed to be Cerberus.

I didn't speak for a while, and neither did Cerberus. He picked up the teacup between two of his giant fingers and took a sip.

"So?" He asked.

"Oh, um, sorry." I started, clearing my throat. I needed to focus, "I understand that you were part of some trials a few years back? With Rocco Trask?"

He nodded.

"And I under_stood_ that you died in said trials"

"You're wrong there"

"I figured." I replied, laughing a little as I spoke, "But other than that, am I right?"

"Sounds right" He replied.

"So how is it that you survived the trials?" I asked.

"The ceiling caved in," He replied, sipping his tea, "and I dug out"

"I'm sorry?" I asked. "You dug out? What does that mean?"

"I dug out." He repeated, "Like a mole"

"Ah," I said, suddenly more confused, "How?"

"With my hands"

"Through rock?"

"Yes"

I almost asked how, but then I noticed his arms again.

"It's my semblance." He replied to my unspoken but obvious question, "I can dig out of pretty much anything"

"Ah." I said, much more satisfied with the answer. "That makes more sense"

He didn't say anything.

"Anyways," I continued, wanting to avoid any more awkwardness with him, "why did you leave the trials?"

"Because they were stupid." He replied, "And I didn't care anymore. Simple as that"

"You know that you were actually the first choice next to Dennis Soldier, right?"

"No"

"Were you also aware that everyone died except for Dennis Soldier?"

"Yes, I was aware" He replied.

"And you didn't try to help?"

"Not at the time"

"At the time?" I asked, "What does that mean?"

"It means that at the time I didn't do anything"

"Why?"

"Didn't know what to do"

I paused, "So, are you doing something now?"

"Yes"

There was yet another awkward silence. I caught it quickly, "D-um, what are you doing?"

"I'm hunting down all the Heishi"

"What?" I asked.

"I'm hunting down the Heishi" He replied.

"How do you know about the Heishi?" I asked.

"Reading" He replied.

"O-kay." I said. Clearly he'd been conducting an investigation of his own. "Why, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Because I'm the last of the candidates." He replied, "So it's my responsibility"

I tried to think of something else to say. He was doing this more for personal reasons, it seemed. "Do you know what threat the Heishi pose to us?"

"Somewhat." He replied, "I know they aren't good"

"So you've taken to hunting them all down?"

"Yes"

"I take it you're a huntsman by trade"

"Yes"

"Are you any good?"

"I've won the Hunter's Tournament before." He replied, "And like you said, I was the first choice next to Dennis"

I felt a smile curve my lips, "Would you be interested in joining a military taskforce dedicated to stopping the Heishi?"

He smiled slightly, "Go on."

* * *

**So there you have it. Cerberus is alive and well, and he seems interested. Plus the locations which will likely consume a few chapters after this.**

**This'll hopefully be one of the last Crimson II chapters for a while. I mean, there's 14 of them and only about 5 for everyone else. There's a new objective though, which will bring the characters together finally. **

**By the looks of it some of the font is different after the split in the chapter, so I apologize if that shows through. This whole thing has been a bit wonky today. I have no idea how to change the font on here, if it even makes a difference. Anyways, that's not important.**

**And as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to (but I'd appreciate it) and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	81. Violet II Chapter 5

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**I finally got around to doing some more writing today. Hopefully I'll be able to do some more tomorrow as well, and the next day, and the next day, and so on and so forth. Maybe I should give up social media to that...It'd probably help.**

**Anyways, this chapter is fairly long, so let's get on with it!**

* * *

Nello and I ended up leaving the tournament much later, and by the time we did Gazini and Thunder had already left, so the next day when the tournament started we planned to leave.

Back at home we returned to Azure walking out of the shower and down the stairs, a towel wrapped around her chest and hair. When she saw us she jumped a little.

"Hey scaredy-cat." I said, "Or I guess more like scaredy-fox, eh?"

"You startled me" She said.

"I noticed," I said, "so, you and Xeyrus find anything?"

She hesitated, but eventually shook her head.

"Something's wrong" I said, immediately noting that she was off.

"I was just about to tell you." She started, "Xeyrus and I were attacked. He… didn't make it"

"What?" I asked, shocked. Xeyrus was very skilled in battle, not so much with people though. "Who attacked you?"

"Cinder Fall" She replied.

I paused to think. This wasn't good. And for some reason they still used that old building. _We completely trashed it! How are they still using it?_

"How'd you escape?" Nello asked, his voice somewhat shaky.

"Um," she stammered, "after Xeyrus fell, I panicked and ran. Somehow she didn't notice me"

"You're pretty lucky." I finally said, "Cinder's a real threat." I hesitated with my next question, but decided to ask it, "I take it you didn't find anything then?"

Azure looked at me, surprise across her face. "N-no, we didn't. Cinder was waiting for us"

I sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of my nose, "Well, crap." I said simply, "This sucks"

There was a long silence.

Finally I decided to break it, "Well, on the bright side, Nello and I found out something"

"Oh really?" Azure asked, her voice still a little scared. "What?"

"The military has Rain Fall in custody." I replied, "Nello and I are planning to sneak in tomorrow while Lleu and Gazini are out and interrogate the guy. You in?"

"Um" she started.

"Maybe now isn't a good time to talk about it." Nello said, "I mean, Xeyrus just died. Shouldn't we wait maybe?"

"No, we have to keep working" I replied.

"Isn't that a little insensitive?" Nello asked.

"Nello," I started, "the show must go on. I hate to be that person, but I know we're all thinking it. No one really liked Xeyrus, and he didn't like anyone either. We don't need time to mourn; we'd probably just sit around and watch TV, okay? We need to get back to work"

Nello sighed, "Alright." He said, then turned back to Azure.

"I don't think I'll be joining you guys tomorrow" She replied.

I nodded, understanding, "'Kay. Well, get a good night's sleep. You can change your mind if you want to, of course"

With that we separated. I went to the couch, Azure went back upstairs, and Nello went to the kitchen.

* * *

The next day Nello and I headed out. Azure still didn't want to join us, so we went on our own.

We walked right through the front door, no questions asked.

"This is a dumb idea." Nello whispered to me, "We don't even know which floor they're on"

"Then we'll ask" I replied simply.

"Ask what?" He asked, "Where are you holding Rain Fall?"

"Just let me do the talking"

We arrived at the front desk. The secretary looked up and smiled, "How may I help you?" She asked.

"I'm wondering which floor Lleu Thunder works on?" I asked, "He recruited us for his team, but he failed to provide that info"

"Okay." She said, "What's your name?"

"Octavia Strom." I replied, "But he just recruited us. I doubt he'd put us in the system already"

She looked at her computer for a minute, then shook her head, "Typical." She muttered, then looked back up, "He always forgets. Most of his team isn't even entered. Trust me, you aren't the first. He works on floor B10. Sorry about that"

"No worries." I said, smiling, "Thank you very much"

She smiled back, then returned to work.

I turned and started towards the elevator. As we approached it I turned around, winking at Nello. He leaned forward and whispered, "I can't believe that you pulled that off."

We reached the elevator and went down to the floor the secretary had told us. The elevator stopped at a lone room with a very large table in the center.

"Is this is?" Nello asked, looking around cautiously.

"Is this what?" Someone asked.

We both turned, seeing a heavily armored guard standing next to the wall just right of the elevator. There were three doors lining that wall.

"We're here because Lleu Thunder recruited us." I replied, "Is this the right place?"

The guard nodded, "Indeed it is." He replied, "May I be of assistance?"

"Um, yes, actually." I started, stepping forward, "I heard that you had Rain Fall in your custody?"

"Yes" He replied.

"I was wondering if I could speak to him." I said, "I think that I might be able to crack him"

"Oh?" He asked, "That would be helpful. He's just through this door"

"Thank you, sir" I said. Nello and I went through the door in which he gestured to. We found a barred prison door on the other side.

"No problem." He replied, "And it's Abel, by the way"

"Good to meet you, Abel" Nello said quickly.

Abel came into the room after us and unlocked the prison door. Rain Fall sat in the center, chained to the floor by the wrists and ankles. He looked rather uncomfortable, as he wasn't able to stand. But at least he could move his arms.

"Rain Fall." I started, "You are him, correct?"

"Who's asking?" He asked.

"I am, bozo." I replied, "I need to ask you a few questions"

"Oh really?" He asked, "Well here, let me give you the answer I gave the last guy" He raised his middle finger and smiled at me.

I frowned, then kicked him across the face.

"Octavia!" Nello called.

"Shut it" I said, pushing him back and casting him an angry look. He didn't move after that.

"Ow, my jaw." He said, "Is that even legal?"

"Oh please." I said, "Like you care"

He snickered, "You're my kind of woman"

"I'm flattered." I said sarcastically, "Now tell me, where's Gale Sheng?"

"You're after Gale?" He asked, "Why?"

"I'm asking the questions, bucko." I replied sharply, "Now answer the question"

"You'd like to know, wouldn't you?"

"Why do you think I asked?"

He smiled, but didn't respond.

I sighed, "Do you know what your sister has been doing the last few days?"

"She's been working." He replied, "At least I hope so. I haven't seen her in days. Wonder why" He raised his hands, the chains around his wrists clinking as they wiggled against each other.

"She just killed one of my men. Why? Any idea?"

He shrugged, "You're obviously with Thunder, so naturally you're a target"

I figured that I didn't need to press him on that. It was fairly obvious what he meant. "Where's Gale Sheng?"

"Back on Gale, eh?" He asked, "You must really like her"

I kicked him in the gut and his body flopped down. His forehead smacked into my shin. "I'm asking the questions" I said.

He laughed, "You'll find her soon, don't worry"

"When?" I asked.

A smile curled his lips, but he didn't look up, "When hell descends upon our remains"

The statement sounded familiar, but from where I didn't know.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

He looked up at me, his bruised forehead shining. Through his dried lips he spoke one word.

"HellFall"

Again, it sounded familiar. But from where, I had no idea.

"What does that mean?" I demanded.

"Hell shall descend upon our remains" He said.

"Where's Gale?!"

He laughed, "You'll have to wait." He replied, "You'll see her in HellFall. That I can assure you of. Don't worry your pretty little head!"

I kicked him in the nose, cutting off his laughter abruptly.

Sighing angrily, I turned to leave. "Come on Nello," I said, "he's a lost cause. Let's get that file at least" I grabbed him by the coat collar and started to drag him along.

"Wha- oh, okay" he said simply.

The guard, Abel, suddenly appeared at the exit doorway.

"Excuse me, Mr. Abel. I'd like to leave" I said, stopping in front of him.

He looked past me for a moment, then reverted his gaze back to me. Or at least I thought he did. His head moved in such a way that indicated that he was looking straight ahead, which happened to be at me, but I couldn't see his eyes through his helmet.

"Hello?" I asked, waving my hand in his face. He didn't respond. Sighing, I pushed his chest. He stumbled backwards a little, but quickly regained his position, making it impossible for me to slip out.

"Can you hear me?" I asked, waving again.

All of a sudden he swung up his fist, punching me in the gut and sending me to the floor.

"Octavia!" Nello called, turning to me.

"I'm fine." I said, sitting up, "What the heck, Abel?"

Nello's hand instinctively went to his weapon, but he didn't draw it. "Yeah, what the heck?" He asked.

Abel lifted his helmet off his head, revealing what he looked like. He appeared to be some kind of Faunus. His face was covered in green scales, and his eyes were yellow and snakelike. A forked tongue slithered out from his wide lips before disappearing behind them again.

Both Nello and I were caught off guard. He was definitely a Faunus, but he better resembled the animal than the human.

He cocked his head to the side, emitting a slight cracking sound.

I stood, reaching back but not finding my weapon. _Crap!_ I thought simply. I had nothing but my fists to defend myself, and by the looks of it it would take more than that to take down this guy.

"Let's get this over with" Abel said, reaching back and drawing a shotgun. The gun's stock appeared to have some sort of axe blade on it, and the barrel was long enough to make a decent handle for the bladed weapon.

Nello's whip, Eternal Punishment, swung out. He held it by his side and took up a stance, ready to face the monster.

"I'll take care of this, Octavia." He said, "You stay back, okay?"

"Sounds good to me" I replied.

The snake man cocked his shotgun, then fired. Nello swung his whip, the heavy blade at the end blocking the bullet. Abel's eyebrows rose, then he charged.

Nello twisted his foot, readying to sidestep. Sure enough, Abel fell right into it. Eternal Punishment wrapped itself around his body as Nello swung. Abel fell to the ground, and in seconds Nello was on top of him. He held the blade of his whip to his neck.

"What the heck are you doing?" He demanded. He wasn't very intimidating in voice, but the blade certainly was.

"Take a wild guess" Abel replied.

I turned to Rain, who sat watching the entire thing unfold, a grin spread across his face. Abel was working for him, I knew that now.

"Why you-" Nello started. "I should just kill you now"

"Too late" Abel said, moving his hand slightly. I saw his shotgun barrel pressed up into Nello's gut.

He pulled the trigger, and Nello's body flew into the air. He let go of Eternal Punishment, and when he landed didn't get back up.

"Nello!" I cried. No response.

Abel stood, ripping the whip off his body. It was in pieces now, and almost worthless at first glance. He turned his gaze on me.

I started to back up until I hit a wall. He raised his shotgun and pointed it at me.

Before he could shoot I turned and ran. He pulled the trigger, hitting the wall. He turned around, raising his shotgun and gripping it by the barrel so that he held it like an axe.

I dived to the ground, grabbing Eternal Punishment's severed blade. With great effort, I lifted it and spun around on my back. Abel's axe came down on me, colliding with the blade instead. It sucked a lot of strength from my body, but I held it in place.

He raised the axe, then swung again. I both felt and heard the blade crack slightly. He swung again, and again. The blade was breaking. Right before the fourth swing I dropped the blade and rolled away. Sure enough, he broke it in two.

Regaining my feet, I took up a stance and readied for his next attack. Whatever it would be it'd probably kill me if it landed.

He swung his axe horizontally. I skidded back suddenly, avoiding the blow on instinct alone. The blade still grazed my black sweater. He swung again, and I backed up. Again and again he swung, pushing me back. Finally I ducked, rolling between his legs as he completed the swing, and reached the broken blade again. Reaching down, I was able to lift one half with relative ease.

Abel's axe came out of nowhere, and I barely deflected it. I tried to fight him off his the blade, but the reach was so little compared to his axe.

Finally I turned tail and ran towards the now-open doorway. Broken blade in hand, I charged through it. There was no way that I could beat this guy.

Abel came charging out after me, breaking down part of the doorway in the process.

I threw the broken blade at him. He snapped it in half with a single swing.

As he neared me he swung his axe downwards. I was pinned against the long wooden table, and I had nothing else I could do. Putting up my aura, I blocked the attack. His axe bounced right off my hands.

He frowned, then swung again, harder this time. I threw up my aura, placing a strong shield around myself. His weapon slammed into me and flew right out of his hands.

I took this moment of weakness and charged, pushing him backwards and slamming him against the wall. As smoothly as I could, I kicked his knee and snapped it forwards, causing him to fall to the ground.

Picking up one of the broken Eternal Punishment blade shards, I hopped onto his back and plunged it into the back of his neck. He squealed and shook with pain.

And then the elevator arrived.

* * *

**So there you have it. There wasn't any great place to end this chapter in between, so it is pretty long compared to my other chapters. The fights I write have certainly become longer though, I just wrote a chapter that was basically entirely a fight. I haven't finished it, but it was the normal length of a chapter. **

**I hope you all recognize Abel. If you don't it'll be clarified in the coming chapters I think. **

**I know I've said this multiple times before, but the story should be wrapping up relatively shortly. By shortly I mean in several more chapters and several more months. That's probably what's going to happen at least. But the title was finally said in dialogue by the antagonist, so that's a thing. I'm really looking forward to the climax of this part, it's pretty awesome if you ask me. **

**What do you guys think happened Nello? Will he live? Will be die? Will he live but not be able to fight and ultimately kill himself due to a lack of feeling of self-worth? Who knows, but it took me a bit of time to decide on that. Also, same with Abel. Living? Dead? Unable to fight?**

**Anyways, that's about it. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	82. Violet II Chapter 6

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**I've been doing a lot more writing lately, and I've decided that I'm going to focus more attention on writing until I finish this part, just so that I'll have more time to think about and develop the plot of part 3, and also because I'm getting pretty close. **

**Anyways, the last chapter ended with a cliffhanger, so let's get on with it!**

* * *

I froze, watching with curiosity and fear. Abel's squealing slowly began to subside, just as two men walked out from the elevator door. I recognized Gazini and Lleu immediately. They turned, gasped when they saw us.

"What the he-?" Lleu started, stopping in place.

"Octavia?" Gazini asked, "What the bloody hell is going on?"

Abel had long since ceased movement. I loosened my grip on the blade shard and stepped off his corpse.

"Your guard was working for Rain." I replied, hoping that he wouldn't ask why I was here, "So I stopped him before he could let him escape"

"Okay," Gazini said, "but why are you here?"

_Darn, he's smarter than he looks_, I thought. "That's not important!" I said quickly.

"Yes," he replied, "it kind of is"

"Uh," I stammered, trying to make something up, "hmm"

I had to get out of here. I knew that. But how, I wasn't entirely sure.

I pointed to the prison area, "Look, a naked man!" I cried, then charged towards the elevator.

Lleu turned, but Gazini struck out his fist, hitting me hard in the gut. I coughed, saliva flying from my mouth as his fist made contact. I fell hard on my back, hitting my head against the cold floor.

"Lucky for you." Gazini said, standing over me, "I was just about to call you. I need you for something"

I laughed, "Good luck making me do anything for you, red-head!"

"If you do, I'll excuse you for breaking into the base"

"Okay, well I didn't break in." I pointed out, "Your secretary let me in"

"You're not supposed to be here." He said, "I could lock you up. So I'll say this again. I'll excuse this if you and your team help me"

I sighed, "What happens if I don't?"

"Like I said, I'll lock you up"

"For how long?"

"Long enough"

"How long is that?"

"As long as it takes"

As much as I tried to play this off as a joke, I knew that there was no way I was getting out of this unless I took the offer.

"Fine." I finally replied, "What do you want me to do?"

"Well," he started, "first of all, gather your team here. We'll need all of you"

I paused to think, trying to remember where they all were. Xeyrus was dead, Azure was at home, and Nello…

My eyes shot to the prison entrance, "Nello!" I called, running towards the door. Once I was inside I saw him, lying still on the ground.

I fell to my knees by his body and flipped him over. His face was frozen in shock, eyes wide, mouth slightly open.

"Nello?" I asked, leaning my ear against his chest, "Nello!" There was no sound. No heartbeat. Nothing.

I felt tears come to my eyes, and suddenly felt terrible. Not only terrible that he'd died, but terrible at the favoritism I showed in my team. I didn't mourn for Xeyrus, but I mourned for Nello. Not only that, but two of my own team members had died under me in the past few days. _I'm a horrible leader,_ I thought.

Fighting the tears back, I faced Nello again. I reached out and gently closed his eyes, then kissed his forehead.

"I'm so sorry." Gazini said from behind me, "Was he a teammate?"

I nodded, standing. Turning around, I faced him and said, "It's only Azure and I now, so what will you have us do?"

* * *

I called in Azure and she arrived shortly. She reacted similarly to how I did. She cried for a while, longer than I did, but eventually did recompose herself.

Gazini sat us down around the massive wooden table at one end so that we were close enough to hear each other speak.

"As you know I'm building a team to combat a major potential threat to Atlas. I think that at this point we can be certain that it is a threat, however, not just potientially. Recently we came across some leads, specifically locations."

He paused, "I'm taking a couple teams to Cor Village in a few days. Apparently they have a powerful weapon there." At this point he turned to me, "One that can supposedly remove another person's semblance"

I recognized the name of the village, but the weapon just further clarified it. I'd never gone there afterwards because I thought it'd been abandoned.

"I thought that place was abandoned" I said, speaking my thoughts aloud.

He turned to me and held my gaze for a moment, "Better safe than sorry" He said simply.

I leaned back in my chair.

"If it is empty," He continued, "we're going to another location. Simple as that. Thunder will take a couple teams up to Aldbay, where the Plan H file was originally found. Any questions?"

"Who else is coming with us?" Azure asked.

"I will," I said, "and so will my team. Team WRGE will be joining us as well. And Cerberus Witch and Dennis Soldier. Witch and Soldier will be assigned to you guys, to make a four-man team. Sound good?"

Azure nodded.

Gazini turned to me, "Octavia?" He asked.

I looked up from the table, trying to think of something to say. "Hmm?" I asked, "Oh. Quick unrelated question. Who was that guard? Abel?"

I pointed to the dead snake man lying on the ground behind us. Gazini turned, "Abel?" He asked, "That was Scitalis Abel. According to Rain he was Rocco's personal minion"

"Scitalis?" Azure asked, "I know him. I fought him." She held out her hand, revealing a clean hole through her palm, "He gave me this"

"I thought I did that" Gazini said.

"Wait, what?" I asked, suddenly angry at the red head.

"Scitalis did it originally." Azure replied, "You just reopened it"

"Oh, right" He said, "Sorry about that"

Lleu cleared his throat, "Can we get back to business?" He asked.

"I think we're pretty much done." Gazini replied, "I'll tell the other members. We'll leave for Cor Village in two days. I'll give you all more details if I can then"

"Why two days?" I asked.

"My team and I are fighting in the tournament tomorrow." He replied, "We made it to semi-finals"

"Congrats" I said.

"Thanks" He said.

There was a brief pause.

"Well," Gazini finally said, "I guess that's that. Meeting adjourned, or whatever."

* * *

**So there you have it. A little short I know, but important nonetheless. Nello's dead, it's official. Honestly this wasn't part of my original plan. I liked Nello quite a bit, and I did actually plan on keeping him until the final part of the story. But I didn't really want to go back and change things, and I thought it'd be too predictable and unrealistic if he took a shotgun through the gut and survived after bleeding out for several minutes while Octavia fought Abel. But oh well, such is life. Let that be a lesson to all you aspiring writers, though: things aren't always going to go the way you want with your stories, trust me. Unless I'm just lazy, I don't know. **

**So we'll be returning to Cor Village soon. Exciting eh? I know I am. **

**Also, I know I said 'no Crimson chapters for a while', but the next will be just that. I made it longer though, so that this'll be the last one for a while (hopefully). **

**Anyways, that's about it. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	83. Crimson II Chapter 15

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Man, I've been writing so much more lately, it's been a lot of fun actually. HellFall just comes so easily to me, and I don't know why. No other story of mine is as easy to write as this one.**

**This chapter is quite a bit longer than usual, just so that we don't have to have as many Crimson II chapters. We're at 15 now, while everyone else is sitting at 7 chapters if they're lucky. **

**Anyways, I don't want you to read too much more than you have to, so let's get on with it!**

* * *

I walked through the doors into the tournament arena, my teammates surrounding me. The crowd cheered all around us. I swept my gaze across the full seats, seeing the vast scheme of colors waving and flailing about with excitement.

Arkynshihn rested on my shoulder, held in one hand. For some reason I was feeling pretty casual today, like I'd be able to just breeze through whatever was about to hit me. Petunia stood to my right, holding her dust vial sword, Lacemeiyor, by her side. To my left Steam propped his shovel, Gold Digger, up on his shoulder, similarly to me, and Hail held her scythe, Grim Winter, like it was a walking stick, with the butt end planted against the ground.

The announcer spoke loudly into his microphone, "ALRIGHT FOLKS! HERE HAVE TEAM PHGG, WHO HAS MANAGED TO PULL OFF STUNNING VICTORY AFTER STUNNING VICTORY SO FAR! BUT WILL THEY BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THEIR STREAK AGAINST THEIR OPPONENT TODAY?"

I averted my gaze, looking towards the far side of the arena, but saw no one.

"WHO IS THEIR OPPONENT?!" the announcer continued, "WELL LET ME TELL YOU! THE WINNER OF THE LAST SEVERAL TOURNAMENTS, YOU ALL KNOW AND LOVE HER, THE LONE WARRIOR, GUENIANNE RADIANCE!"

In that instant the gate exploded open, smoke streaming outwards and drifting slowly through the wind. A woman stepped through the grey clouds. She was dressed in both black and white, and her attire design was rather unique. She wore a black dress with sleeves going right to her wrists before puffing out into a white wool lining of some kind. The rest of her sleeves and dress running down her torso were covered by rings of wool wrapped around her body, each one puffing out. She wore a white shoulder cape with a small hood covering her head and obscuring her face. On her legs were black laced boots, making their way up past her knees by the looks of it.

She lifted her hood and leveled her gaze with each of us. Her hair was black and short, save for two white ponytails hanging out from the sides of her head, emerging from under her dark hair. The white hair was tied together at the ends in front of her neck, giving her the look of having a very pale crescent moon hanging off her head. Her eyes were cobalt blue, and her face was somewhat round. She was pretty, that I knew, and the softness of her eyes made her appear to be quite friendly too.

The smoke cleared, and I saw her reach back and draw her weapon. It was a sword with a sharp forward curve downwards before correcting itself and going straight again. The design was similar to that of a khopesh, only the curve was much more smooth. Two of these weapons hung from the back of her waist across each other, forming an X shape.

She held only one sword in her hand, standing with it as casually as Petunia did with hers.

"AND…BEGIN!" The announcer yelled.

In that instant the softness in her eyes was replaced by fierce intensity. She charged with alarming speed. I quickly gripped my blade with both hands, and I saw everyone else do the same.

_This shouldn't be too bad, right?_ I thought, _I mean, it's one on four. So what if she won all the previous tournaments, right?_ As I finished this thought she reached us, striking at Petunia first.

Her blade came up, blocking the blow, but for naught. The blade flew from her hands, flying over her head. As Guenianne made another attempt at an attack, I threw myself forward, sticking my blade out and blocking it. As soon as our blades collided she was gone, literally spinning through the air at an angle around me. I felt a sharp swing to my side and flew to the ground.

As I recovered I saw the black and white clothed woman clashing with both Hail and Steam at the same time. How, I did not know. She exchanged blows with each one, one-handed. Her blade swung back and forth, rejecting each attack before flitting to block the next.

I gripped Arkynshihn and charged. She projected her aura at me from behind, throwing me right back to the ground.

Petunia picked Lacemeiyor back up and we charged together. As we swung, her sword swung around her back, blocking each of our blades in one swipe. We stumbled back and glanced at each other, both in awe.

_Spoke too soon_, I thought.

Steam fell to the ground, and only Hail was left to defend herself. She spun Grim Winter about, pulling the trigger when she could and letting bullets fly, each one blocked or missing entirely. She swung, spun, and shot. But nothing worked. Guenianne blocked each attack with a single hand.

Quickly I looked into the future. I knew that if I attacked from any angle that she'd anticipate it.

I leaned over to Petunia, "We need to strike from two different places at the exact same time"

"Got it" she said, running off in another direction. I went the opposite way, and when we were both ready, charged.

She kicked out, launching Hail through the air and landing right next to Steam just as he was standing.

Petunia and I were almost upon her, but she didn't move. She knew we were coming, yet didn't budge.

I started an overhead swing, and Petunia went for an underhand. In an instant Guenianne thrust her blade towards me, the tips of my sword and hers colliding for the briefest of seconds, barely touching. I felt a sudden burst of force and the blade slipped right out of my hands and into the air. I almost fell in surprise, but kept moving. If we were to hit her, now would be one of the best times.

She spun and blocked Petunia's attack, but I came up and punched her hard in the back. She shuddered slightly at the impact, but swung her elbow back against my nose. I stumbled back, holding my face.

Steam rushed past me, his shovel in its gun state with the sharpened scoop bent backwards and spinning. He pulled the trigger, but unfortunately each bullet bounced off her back. He swung the spinning spade at her, swiping it across her upper back. Surprisingly, she stumbled forward. Petunia, who was still holding her own against her, took this opportunity and slashed her face with a flaming blade. Guenianne was on the ground now. Finally, we were getting somewhere.

We all charged her, everyone wanting to get our blades at her neck. Hail was there first, sticking her scythe in her face. As soon as she did, Guenianne slapped it away and threw her legs backwards, back-flipping into the air and landing on her feet.

We gathered as a wall, standing before her and hoping to intimidate her somehow. I doubted it worked.

For the first time I noticed the trigger under the guard of her sword, and the short barrel on the curved part of her blade. Her finger hopped on the trigger, as if it couldn't decide whether she wanted to pull it for not.

Steam and Hail charged, screaming, and we followed.

In a sudden flurry of movement she deflected each of our attacks. I heard the sound of bullets being fired. Who's, I didn't know. Where they went, I also didn't know. But as we passed her we fell to the ground, utterly exhausted. I was sore all over, my body covered in bruises. I could barely move.

Summoning as much strength as I could, I adjusted my head and saw her back to us, blade in hand and gun barrel smoking. _Those are quite some bullets_, I thought, allowing my head to drop to the ground.

The crowd cheered all around us, and it was made very clear that this battle was over.

* * *

As we left the arena I let out a heavy sigh. "Well, that's over" I said simply.

I saw Petunia nod next to me, but Hail and Steam walked behind me, so I couldn't tell if they made any such acknowledgement.

"Team PHGG!" Someone called. I looked up, seeing Guenianne running towards us from a ways away.

"Miss Radiance." I said, "I didn't get a chance to congratulate you" As much as I wished we had won, I was a good sport.

"Oh thank you!" She said excitedly, "Good on you guys too, you were great!"

"Well…" Hail started.

"Oh please," Guenianne said, "don't worry, I know a good hunter when I see one. You guys want to grab coffee or something?"

I was surprised. Just a few minutes ago it felt like this woman was trying to kill us, now she wanted coffee. I was confused, but the softness had returned to her eyes, and I almost felt obligated to say yes, which is what I did. The team followed suit.

"Cool, where do you want to go?"

"Um," Petunia stammered.

"Don't you have a place in mind?" Hail asked. "You did ask, after all"

"I was just being courteous." She replied, "I like SunDial personally, if you guys are up for that"

"Sounds good" I said.

There was a SunDial close by, so we just walked there. We claimed a small table by the window and ordered our beverages. When our steaming mugs were set before us Guenianne started talking.

"So," she started, "whenever I fight someone I like to give them tips, so long as you're all cool with that"

Again, I was surprised. I wasn't really sure about Guenianne. First she was kind, then she was scary, and now she's kind again.

I simply nodded, and everyone else, again, followed suit.

"Cool!" She said, clapping her hands together, "So, something I noticed about all of you was how quickly you seemed to charge into battle. Sometimes brute force works, but typically you will want to plan out more than two steps of an attack. Gazini and Petunia, you had the right idea with that double team, but don't just charge straight. Charge in a zigzag pattern or start running from closer by, just to make it less predictable or catch your opponent off guard. You get what I'm saying?"

We all nodded. I think we all knew that, but it was hard, especially in the heat of battle, to think clearly enough to make a more complex plan of attack. Nevertheless, it was helpful to know that we were getting there.

"Also, you've got to move faster, and more together. Don't just charge in at random times. This is the reason I fight alone, because of how hard it is to synchronize with everyone else. It's a good skill, though, if you intend on fighting as a team. Your one-on-one is really good, for most of you at least. Most of you held your own pretty well when it was just the two of us. But otherwise you guys were great. You just need to pick up the pace and be in synch a little more"

"Quick question," Hail started, "how is your aura shield so strong?"

"That comes with practice." She replied, "The more you use your aura, the stronger it gets, and the longer you can hold it up"

"What about your speed?" Hail pressed, "How did you fight both Steam and I one-handed, and know the others were behind you?"

"Again, it comes with practice." She replied, "As for knowing who was behind me, I simply felt it. My aura stretches quite a ways from my body, so I sense any disturbances around me most of the time. Plus I'm always anticipating back attacks"

"And what about when you knocked Arkynshihn out of my hand?" I asked, referring to when she'd barely grazed my sword and sent it flying.

"Oh, that." She said, smiling, "It's a secret"

I glared at her, trying to make her tell us.

She seemed uncomfortable at that, so she told me. "Okay, it's my semblance. I have increased knockback with anything I touch. So I activated it when our swords touched and there it went"

I nodded. It made sense, and she'd used it in a very clever and somewhat subtle way.

"I'm curious." Petunia started, "Have you ever lost?"

"When I was first learning, all the time" She replied.

"I mean, after you became the best in the world"

"Oh yes." She replied, "I've lost plenty of times. A few years ago my winning streak in the tournaments was broken, actually"

"By who?"

"I believe her name was Livie Sasha. She fought alone as well"

There was a brief pause.

"So what's with the two swords if you only use one?" Hail asked.

"I grew up fighting with two swords," She replied, "but I'm trying to get better one-handed. So I guess you could say that when I pull the second one I reach my 'final form'" She giggled at her joke, but none of us joined her. I tried to force a laugh, but it came out awkward so I stopped.

"Miss Radiance," I started.

"Call me Guen," she said, "it's short, sweet, and less formal"

"Okay, Guen." I continued, "I'm working with the military, and we're recruiting strong hunters for a major threat, a-"

"Okay"

"…What?"

"I'll join"

"I didn't offer"

"But you were about to, right?"

I paused, "Yes"

"Then I'm interested"

"O-kay. You want to drop by the base? We'll get you registered and stuff"

She smiled, "Sounds good."

* * *

**So there you have it. I'm sure most of you don't really remember Guenianne Radiance. She was mentioned very briefly earlier on in part 2. I really like her, though, she's pretty cool. Fun fact about her, the name Guenianne is a name that I made up by combining two names, one which means black, and the other meaning white. Unfortunately I don't remember exactly what names they were, but I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to figure out. **

**I was originally going to end the chapter after the fight, but I wanted to cut down on Crimson (like I said), plus I'm planning on making my chapters longer from now on, if I can. And I didn't want a whole chapter to just be a fight. **

**And that's it. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	84. White II Chapter 6

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**I'm pretty tired right now, so I don't really feel like saying much, nor do I have anything to say really. **

**This chapter is nice and chill, like my mood. Enjoy**

* * *

Weiss swung her rapier, slapping the needle-like blade against my upper arm. It stung, but I ignored it and kept fighting. She swung and stabbed, over and over, pushing me backwards as I attempted to deflect and avoid each attack.

Since we started training she seemed to have improved. Either that or she was just learning my own fighting style. Nonetheless, I was happy with the results which had been produced after such a short amount of time.

The battle ended with my blade resting against her neck, yet again.

She sighed with disappointment as I withdrew the blade.

"You're getting better." I said, "You'll beat me, don't worry"

"I'm not worrying." She said, "I'm just disappointed"

"Disappointed?" I asked, "In whom?"

"Myself." She replied.

"You're doing great, trust me." I said, looking her in the eyes in the hopes of conveying that I meant it.

She gave me a little smile that lasted barely a second before looking away. After a few moments she started to leave. Her head turned as she stopped, "Well?" She asked, "You coming?"

I sheathed Reitō no Fukushū and followed after her, a smile playing on my lips at the fact that she was taking charge.

She stood before the punching bag and waited.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Isn't there anything you need to tell me?" She asked.

I shook my head, "No," I replied, "Not until you start hitting it"

She did just that, and as expected, didn't require any advice. I patted her shoulder blade, then went to the bag across from her and started punching. When I started she glanced up at me, and so did I.

"Stay focused." I said with a smile, "Your opponent won't allow for sidelong glances"

She smiled, "Unless my opponent is as bad at fighting as this punching bag"

We kept punching for several minutes. I felt sweat dribble down my forehead, each drop weaving it's way past my facial features and pushing through the forest of hair that were my eyebrows before falling off my face entirely. My knuckles started to feel sore, so I put up my aura and kept punching. As the one-sided fight continued my arms slowed until they felt like they'd been sat on by a very large man. I was panting, and by the time my watch rang I was sweating and sore all over, barely able to move my arms.

"We done?" Weiss asked.

I nodded, "Yeah." I replied between breaths, "We're done"

"Cool," She said, lowering her hands to her sides.

I snatched my sword in its sheath up from its place on the floor, then started towards the men's change room.

"You're going on a mission today, right?" Weiss asked as we walked.

"Yeah" I replied.

"Where're you going?"

"Uh," I started, "Some village, I think. I can't remember. You?"

"No," she replied, "Thunder didn't assign RWBY to anything"

"Ah."

She sighed, "I wish we could do something to help"

"You will," I said, splitting from her towards the men's room, "don't worry"

"I'm not worrying" She said simply, disappearing into the women's room. I thought she might have said it as a joke, but the last look on her face didn't say that. In fact, it said quite the opposite.

I showered, but due to my lack of arm strength ended up standing under the running water without applying any soap or other bodily cleaning detergents. But I didn't mind, it was relaxing just to stand there and let the water run over me.

With some difficulty I managed to pull clothing over my damp body. My arms were starting to feel better, but I still preferred not to use them.

Outside I found Weiss waiting. She looked up when I came out.

"Took you long enough," She said, "I thought I'd be the last out"

"I'm still sore" I replied.

"So where're you going now?" She asked.

"Well," I started, raising my arm, with some effort, to see my wrist watch, "I have to report to Gazini's place for a full briefing in a while, so I'll probably head over there now. Make sure I give myself some time to find the place, or be there early. Either one works. You?"

"Oh, I don't know." She replied, "Maybe I'll go to my room and see if my team's around. Otherwise I might go find something to do, like a hunting job or something"

I nodded in acknowledgement.

"…Or I could sneak out with you guys on your mission" She added.

"No," I replied, "that's really not a good idea"

"I know," she said, "I just thought-"

"Don't worry, Weiss, you'll get your chance"

"I'm not worrying!" She exclaimed, "Why do you keep saying that?"

"You seem like you're worrying," I replied, "I can never tell if you are or not"

"Just assume that I'm not." She said simply. There was a long silence. "I just, I want to do something, you know?" She finally continued, "I don't like sitting around here"

"Thunder and Gazini value you," I said, "trust me"

"Why do you say that?" She asked, "I haven't done anything for them"

"You're the only one who ever beat Cinder, remember?"

"With three other people"

"That's still more experience than most of us"

She didn't reply.

"Are you married?" She finally asked, changing the subject.

"No." I replied, surprised by the sudden question, "Why?"

"Oh, well," she started, "what about that orange haired girl, Ember? Is she your girlfriend or something?"

"She's my daughter" I replied.

"Oh," She said, "OH, I'm so sorry. I just made that weird" She got worried all of a sudden.

"Don't worry about it," I said, "I loo-"

"I'm NOT worrying"

"Sorry," I said, "But I look young for my age, and she is quite young. It looks that way sometimes, I know. You're not the first person to ask that"

"Okay." She said, "So, who's her mother, then?"

"Beats me" I replied.

Weiss didn't reply for a while, "Wait," She started as we got on the elevator, "how does that work? Have you been with so many women that you forgot?"

I laughed, "No, no," I said, "It's definitely not that. Quite the opposite, in fact. No, I rescued her and figured I'd raise her as my own"

"Oh, does she know you're not her father?"

"Yes, of course." I replied, "I found her when she was around ten years old. She remembers her parents"

Again another moment of silence. Much more short lived this time around though.

"What do you mean by, 'quite the opposite'?"

"What?" I asked, confused.

"I asked if you forgot how many women you've been with, and you said 'quite the opposite'. What do you mean by that?"

"I'm sorry, what's unclear?"

"Are you meaning to say that you haven't been with many women?"

"Yes, I guess. I mean, I've never been with anyone before, so yeah. It'd be quite the opposite"

The elevator doors slid open, but Weiss didn't move. "Seriously?" She asked. "You've never dated anyone?"

"Never"

"No significant other, not even an elementary school girlfriend?"

"Not ever"

"Why?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. It's never been important to me. I have Ember, so I have no real reason to have children"

She stared at me, "Seriously?" She asked, "Loving someone isn't about having children. It's about…loving them and expressing it, you know?"

I paused, "I guess that I just haven't met the right person"

I smiled, but her expression was anything but. It was a mixture of sadness and surprise.

After a long moment, she turned and left. The elevator doors closed behind her, and the metal box which I now alone stood in began to rise yet again.

* * *

**So there you have it. Kind of seems like some romantic comedy or something eh? I'm sure you all know it, but HellFall is anything but a rom-com, and I'll do anything I can to largely keep it that way (with the exception of these kinds of chapters). **

**Anyways, still tired. Make sure you guys get enough sleep tonight, and don't take naps too late in the day, otherwise you won't be able to sleep at night. Also, don't Monday. Don't ever Monday. And as usual, favorite, follow, review tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter. **


	85. White II Chapter 7

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**I've hit some kind of writer's block recently, and I was just writing a fight, so this has been kind of weird. It's been hard writing something that I actually like and doesn't feel super awkward. I'm going to try again today though, so hopefully it works out. **

**Anyways, on with the chapter!**

* * *

I rode the bus to the closest stop to Gazini's house, then set out to find it. I was going to be fairly early, but I didn't mind, and hopefully he didn't either. When I arrived I found myself surprised that I wasn't the first one to do so.

Dennis Soldier, the rescued and turned Heishi, was there, along with Gazini and his team of course.

"Ah, Wintanweorth," Gazini said as he opened the door, "your early"

"I wanted to give myself time to find the place." I replied, "Turns out it wasn't that difficult"

"Glad to hear it." He said, then stepped aside, "Come on in"

"Thank you" I said, stepping through the door.

"Do you ever wear anything other than a suit?" He asked.

I looked down at my black and white attire, "I don't sleep in one," I replied, "usually"

"I see" he replied simply, shutting the door behind me.

"Have you met my team yet?" He asked, showing me to the living room.

"I know of them," I replied, "but I haven't met them"

"Alright," he said, "well, they're all in different places right now. Steam's in the basement, Hail's out, and I don't really know where Petunia is. Have a seat, make yourself comfortable"

"Oh, thank you" I said, sitting down on one of the brightly colored couches.

"Dennis is here, too," He continued, "he might come down. You know him, right?"

"Only by reputation"

"You haven't met many of us yet, have you?"

"Not at all"

"Okay, well, hopefully this'll be a chance for you to meet some of the people you work with"

I nodded, but decided not to say anything. Gazini didn't seem like he was really in the mood to talk, nor did he seem very welcoming despite his politeness.

A few minutes later Dennis came down a set of stairs which I hadn't even seen.

"Yo," he said, seeing me, "you're…"

"Wintanweorth Coal." I replied, standing and holding out my hand to shake, "Your Dennis Soldier, correct?"

"…Yeah," He replied, "Not the original, but, you know,"

"I know" I replied.

Dennis was dressed in a dark green hoodie with a dark grey interior and deep blue jeans. His hair was a slightly lighter green than his hoodie and stuck out in all directions. A sword and sheath was wrapped across his back.

"So," he started, "your part of this whole thing too, eh?"

"Yeah"

"What's your reason?"

"Um," I shrugged, "I figured… if I can make a difference… then why not?"

"You're just willing to throw your life away like that?"

"I wouldn't say that I'm throwing it away." I replied simply, "What about you?"

"Assuming you don't know how those guys treated us Heishi?"

"Can't say I do"

"They tortured and killed the ones who weren't made perfectly"

"Oh"

"Yeah. I guess they didn't realize that they were making real people and punishing them for mistakes they didn't make"

"Good reason"

"I know"

Neither of us spoke for a moment.

"So do you live here?"

"Yes"

"Figured"

Again, no one spoke.

Steam came up from the basement and wandered around for a moment, looking up at the upper walls and ceiling before sitting down on the floor in front of the couch.

"Uh," I started, "you want to sit on the couch?"

"I'm fine." He replied, then leaned in close to us, "Want to hear a cool story?"

"Sure?" I replied, unsure if I really did.

The old man smiled, "Alright, this is the story of how I got into Beacon"

_Sounds interesting_, I thought sarcastically.

"That one again?" Gazini said from the kitchen. He walked into the living room, "Steam, do you even remember how you got into Beacon?"

"Well, yes," he replied, "I-"

"No you don't." Gazini interrupted him, "Steam, it's different every time you tell it"

"Well, nobody wants to hear the same story over and over"

"You always tell it to people who haven't heard it before"

"Well, nobody wants to tell the same story over and over"

Gazini sighed.

"Now I'm curious" I said.

"Steam got into Beacon when he was already pretty old." Gazini started, "Because he kept failing the entrance exam. Eventually he barely squeaked in and ended up becoming the oldest student in Beacon"

"Oh," I said, "how old was he?"

"Uh," the red head thought for a second, "Late thirties? Early forties? I'm not entirely sure"

"Do academies even accept people that old?"

"Not anymore. I think the limit is twenty years or something now"

"Huh"

Again, the room was silent.

"Hey, you guys want to hear a story?" Steam asked.

Gazini sighed and returned to the kitchen. Whatever he was cooking smelled nice, but I felt like it'd be rude to leave Steam now and see what was happening in the kitchen, despite the fact that he seemed a little crazy.

And so that's how the next while went. Steam told us fables of how he slayed great creatures, like Grimm, giant tortoises, regular sized tortoises, smaller tortoises that he claimed weren't regular turtles, and creatures I hadn't even heard of.

The front door opened, turning everyone's attention to it, including Steam's for the moment, thankfully. His stories were amusing at first, but they got dull and repetitive very quickly.

Hail had returned with a woman whom I didn't recognize. She had long violet dreadlocks and wide red eyes. They were followed closely by a young woman clad entirely in blue.

Gazini poked his head out from the kitchen, "Oh, hello." He said, "Have you seen Petunia?"

"No, is she not here?" Hail replied.

"No" He said.

"Hm." Was all she said before noticing me, "Hello. I'm Hail Strom"

I stood, "Wintanweorth Coal" I replied, shaking her hand.

"Well, you're certainly dressed up." She said. "You realize we're heading straight out after this, right?"

"I do"

She hesitated for a second, "Alright," she said, then turned to the purple-haired woman, "this is my sister, Octavia Strom. And this is Azure Blaze" She gestured to the blue woman behind her.

"Nice to meet you" I said.

Hail smiled, then went and introduced her comrades to Dennis, saying that they were going to be in a team along with one other person.

Slowly more and more people began to trickle in. My team arrived shortly after Hail did, and although the living room was getting quite full we were still missing two people.

I heard Gazini talking to someone in the kitchen. Peeking in, I noticed him on his scroll.

All of a sudden there was a noise. The roaring of wind, or something. Hail ran outside, and from my spot on the couch I tried to see what was going on. I heard shouting over the sound, but none of it was audible.

The noise faded slowly, and the dialogue coming from outside became clearer. It quickly became silenced, so I had no idea what was going on.

Hail entered with a short blonde woman whom I recognized to be Petunia Vaughan. She entered the kitchen with Hail, and I could hear them talking.

"What's going on?" Dennis called.

Hail poked her head out, "Petunia got us a helicopter" she replied, returning her head to the kitchen.

I almost stood, but figured that it'd be rude to run outside and stare at the vehicle. That and the large man standing in the doorway stopped me. By now most people had noticed him and ceased to speak.

He wore a black and purple striped coat and had hair the color of blood held back by shining product. He was tall and muscular, and I was a little horrified by how he looked; like something right out of one of those crappy vampyre hunter movies, only he was real. I found myself hoping that he didn't try to fight vampyres, mostly because they weren't real but also because the movies never turned out good, and I wanted this guy to be.

As if on cue, I heard a loud roll of thunder. Whether my ears were playing with me or not, I had no idea.

"Is this the house?" He asked. His voice was deep and intimidating.

Gazini walked out of the kitchen, "Cerberus," He said, "glad you're here. Now we can start."

Cerberus walked right past him and made a beeline for us. We all watched him, curious. He stared down at Dennis, and Dennis stared up at him.

"Yes?" He said, "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm Dennis Soldier"

Cerberus drew a silver pistol from his coat and pointed it at Dennis's forehead faster than I could have even thought possible. The pistol barrel appeared to be more of a short blade which curved out from under the barrel. Where the bullets were stored, I didn't know.

But that wasn't as important as the events unfolding before me.

* * *

**So there you have it. Most of the characters are brought together now, and some obvious conflict has started between Cerberus and Dennis. How do ya'll think this is going to go down?**

**Anyways, I'm kind of tired and don't really have anything important to say, other than the writer's block thing. I think that's happened like three times now. Is that normal? I don't know. **

**But as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	86. White II Chapter 8

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Well I hope everyone's had a lovely weekend. I know I did. **

**This is a longer one, so I'll get right into it.**

* * *

Cerberus had his gun pointed right at Dennis's brain. No one moved for fear of what the large man might do if we did so.

Gazini didn't hesitate.

"Whoa, whoa!" He called, running forward, "Cerberus, put the gun down!" He went to stand beside them, staring Cerberus in the face.

The large man didn't flinch, he tensed and I could tell that he was about to pull the trigger.

Gazini slapped his hand downwards as he fired, blowing a hole in the floor.

"Cerberus!" He called, "What the hell?!"

He turned a hard gaze on Gazini, who gulped nervously but held his ground.

"He's one of them" He said simply.

"I know," Gazini replied, "He's on our side, trust me"

"How can you trust that scum?" He demanded.

"I know that's how you see them, but Dennis is good. He's on our side"

"How can you trust him?" Cerberus asked again, his voice revealing a mixture of tension and anger.

"He gave us info." Gazini replied, "Is that not enough?"

Cerberus paused, then let out a sigh and turned around, walked a few paces, then settled against a nearby wall.

After a brief pause Gazini loosened up and went to stand in a better position of authority, "Alright, looks like everyone's here." He said, "So let's begin.

"We're going to Cor Village today. Apparently some of these HellFall guys have been hiding out there. Octavia Strom knows where to go, so she'll lead the way for us. We've also received info telling us that a particular weapon is there. A machine that can remove your semblance. I suggest you avoid any big metal objects, just to be safe.

"The plan is simple; we head in there and investigate. Look for info, anything that looks helpful. With any luck no one is there and no one gets hurt.

"I will divide everyone into teams of four. Team WRGE is already made, with Wintanweorth leading Roy, Grizzly, and Ember. Octavia will lead Azure, Dennis, and Cerberus" At this he cast a look at Cerberus, who didn't appear to be happy. Fortunately he didn't do anything at hearing this. Gazini returned his attention to us, "And I will be in my team, PHGG, with Petunia, Hail, and Steam. Any questions?"

"Yeah, who's leading our team?" Hail asked.

"I figured I will." He replied, "I'm leading this operation, after all"

"Is it really such a good idea to put those two together?" Azure asked, gesturing to Dennis and Cerberus.

"No," He replied, "I realize that now. But I'm relying on you guys to make sure nothing goes wrong with them. Got it?"

Azure nodded slowly. Her face portrayed fear and a hint of anxiety, and I wondered if she'd be able to stand up to Cerberus if the need arose.

"Anything else?" Gazini asked, looking around, "Good. Get ready, kiddies, we're leaving right away"

"What about the food?" Petunia asked.

"Hm?" He asked, "Oh, right. Everyone grab something to eat if you're hungry"

Everyone stood, a handful of people going for the kitchen. I didn't because I knew that if we were riding in a helicopter I'd puke.

"Not hungry?" Grizzly asked as he stuffed his face on the helicopter. It was quite large, unsurprisingly. There were twelve of us getting on.

"I'll puke all over my suit if I eat anything now" I replied, feeling sick just by sitting on the flying vehicle, despite the fact that it was both grounded and stationary.

"Don't like heights?" He asked.

"I don't like moving without control of what's moving me" I replied.

"And heights"

"Yes"

Ember sat down with us, followed by Roy.

"How are you guys feeling about this?" I asked.

Oddly enough, no one spoke, but instead just nodded.

"I hope I don't die" Grizzly said simply upon noticing the lack of sound.

"Same" Ember seconded.

"I also feel that" Roy added.

"That's great" I said.

"Get in, guys, we're flying in five!" Gazini called, exiting the house with a sandwich in hand.

Petunia climbed into the pilot's cockpit and started to put on the headphones. At first I was surprised, but remembered that she was the one who brought it in the first place so she'd have to know how to fly it.

"Does anyone else know how to fly one of these?" Petunia asked, turning around to look at us.

"I do" Roy said, turning to look at her.

She gestured to the front seat beside her, "Strap in, then. You're my co-pilot"

Roy squeezed past the two front seats and sat down, placing the headphones on his own head and moving the attached microphone down to his mouth.

By now everyone was in the helicopter, seated and strapped in. Gazini slammed the door shut, plunging the back half of the interior into darkness. The light from the windshield kept the front half lit.

"Flying in three…two…one" Petunia said.

And just like that, the helicopter lifted into the air.

* * *

The flight wasn't too eventful. We could barely see anything through the windshield, save for the sky, which never seemed to change.

As far as conversation went, I was too busy keeping anything material from leaving my mouth to talk. A few words were exchanged here and there, but nothing that I'd remember in an hour.

Thankfully I didn't puke while we flew. When we landed I almost did, but sucked it up.

"You okay?" Ember asked when she saw me gagging.

"Yeah" I replied, trying to keep the partially digested food in my stomach.

"Alright Octavia, lead the way!" Gazini called.

She set off running, past the small houses and people who greeted her with surprise.

We followed after her, and as we passed the locals I heard them whisper:

"It's the Violet Demon" "It's her" "She's back" "What's she doing here?"

I mostly tried to ignore them. It was a little eerie considering the setting and my building fear of what was to come.

We ran down a long dust path surrounded on either side by jagged rocks jutting into the air, some big, some not.

At the very end of the path was a dead end. Octavia took her hammer in hand and swung it into one of the bigger rocks before us. It crumpled, but didn't break. She swung again, this time smashing a rectangular hole straight through it. The sound of clattering echoed out from the rock. It appeared that she'd broken down a hidden door.

"They probably already know we're here" She said, then without another word dropped into the rock. We all followed suit, most of us taking the ladder that stretched all the way down.

The room we now stood in was circular with a low ceiling. The only light came from above. There didn't appear to be any doors around to edges.

"Alright," Gazini started, "Octavia, do you remember where the doors are?"

"I don't," she replied, "I got knocked out and taken elsewhere. I have no idea where the doors could be"

"Alright. I'm sure you all can figure this out, but split up, go looking for a door of some kind" He announced.

I regrouped with my team and we scoured the walls. They were made of rough brown rock. Grizzly dragged his hand across it as we walked, likely hoping to find some kind of switch or button. No such thing presented itself.

We looked for at least thirty minutes, but found nothing. The floor was grated, but we'd already tried pulling it out of the ground. Nothing seemed to be working.

"Are you sure it was here?" Gazini asked.

"Positive" Octavia replied, running her hand along the ceiling.

The minutes dragged by, eventually transforming into an hour. Still nothing.

There was a loud crunching noise coming from nearby. But from where exactly, I didn't know.

"Earthquake?" Grizzly asked.

"Maybe" I said.

On the other side of the room I saw the wall slide into itself, revealing a group of men in dark cloaks, their faces obscured.

I felt Grizzly clutch my sleeve. He was shaking, and I got the feeling he'd seen these guys before.

They each drew weapons similar to that of Dennis's, a katana that could extend and bend like a whip, as well as shoot a bullet out from the tip. At least I assumed that they did the same. They looked that way.

There were at least fifteen of them, all filing out through the newly opened doorway in groups of two.

As the surprise of the sudden entry of the men faded everyone drew their weapons. I reached up and drew Reitō no Fukushū from its sheath on my back and took up a battle stance.

"There's eighteen of them." Roy whispered, "And twelve of us. Shouldn't be too hard"

"Careful everyone, these are Heishi" Dennis said.

The Heishi layered themselves along the wall, surrounding us completely. As they finished circling the doors sealed themselves together, leaving no mark that they'd ever been there.

I stood between my teammates, having turned completely around to face the closest Heishi. They stood, identical in stance and appearance, their blades raised and gripped in both hands.

All was silent for the longest of times. I could feel myself breathing. My throat grew dry. A single bead of sweat dribbled down my forehead, over my nose, and dropped off to the ground below.

All the Heishi took one synchronized step forward, setting our entire group off immediately. Everyone charged at their targets, guns blazing, swords swinging.

What happened next was a blur of red and silver.

When I backed away, panting, I saw what we'd done. The Heishi were dead all around us, dismembered, stained with their own blood, some barely recognizable. Reitō no Fukushū was coated in a layer of crimson, with the silver barely shining through.

I reached up to wipe my forehead, smearing warm blood across my fingers in the process.

My team didn't look too great themselves. Ember was covered in small, bloody cuts. Her hands had had some paint scratched off, and the silver color underneath was being revealed. She had one longer scar across her left cheek, and it looked deep. Grizzly was covered in blood. His face, his clothes, everything, covered in blood. Roy was, as expected, fine. A couple bruises here and there, as well as some blood which I assumed wasn't even his. His skin was likely tougher than the average human's, considering his lack of injury.

"Grizzly?" I asked, getting down on one knee, "Are you okay?"

"I'm…fine." he panted, doubling over and puking, "Do I look bad?" He asked after wiping his mouth.

"Yeah" I replied.

"Huh," He said, feeling his face, "I don't feel any cuts" His hand was covered in blood, which I now realized probably wasn't even his own.

"Ember?" I asked, standing, gesturing to her cheek, "That looks bad"

She felt her cheek, accidently pushing her finger through it. "Oh shit!" She gasped, eyes widening, "Oh no, oh…" She withdrew her hand immediately, and I saw tears begin to run down her cheeks.

I placed my hand on her back and leaned in close to her.

"Is everyone okay?!" Gazini called out.

"Ember isn't doing so great" I replied.

He ran over and looked her over, "Oh yeah," he said, "that is bad. It goes through?"

I nodded.

"Okay, um," he looked around, "Azure, come over here, please!" He waved to Azure, who walked over, "Can you tell her what to do about that?"

"About what?" She asked.

"The-" Gazini started, gesturing to his cheek.

Azure turned to Ember, seeing the hole in her cheek.

"Oh, that." She said, "Okay, don't panic; focus your aura on that. It'll heal it as much as it can"

Azure placed her hand on Ember's other shoulder, and I saw a small hole in her palm. I knew that she'd been through something similar, so she was the best for Ember right now.

I looked around, seeing everyone else wasn't doing too great, either. My team and Dennis were looking the worst of all. The turned Heishi had a scar running along his right arm, his sleeve completely torn and barely holding on. It was stained with blood.

Everyone else was covered in blood with a handful of wounds showing through their torn clothing and on their faces. I figured Ember was the worst of all, though.

"Okay guys, we'll rest up a bit!" Gazini called, "Take time to heal yourself, we don't want to head out without as much strength"

"They could send more anytime they wanted!" Octavia called out, the panic quite clear in her voice, "It's pointless waiting around! Let's go!" I couldn't quite understand why she seemed so afraid; she looked fine save for a few wounds here and there.

"Not everyone is doing as great as you, Octavia." Gazini retorted, "Like it or not, everyone needs to catch their breath at the least"

"What if more come?" She asked.

"Then we'll have to fight again. Simple as that" He replied.

Octavia went and sat down against the wall, her face clouded by frustration.

I sat down next to Grizzly, who was leaning against the wall and still trying to catch his breath.

"You sure your fine?" I asked him.

"Yeah." He replied, "Just out of breath"

"Turn around." I said, "Let me look you over"

With a sigh he turned so his back was facing me. Sure enough, he was fine. Perfectly fine, actually. His cloak was a little cut, but nothing went through to his actual skin or even his clothing underneath.

"Alright," I said, "you look okay"

"Thanks"

I looked over at Ember and Azure. Already the scar was starting to heal, but it was obvious that it would mark her face forever.

* * *

**So there you have it. Maybe a somewhat anti-climatic fight. When I edited it it was a little weird, but it is what it is. I think I was feeling really violent or dark or something when I wrote this, so I wanted to make it kind of dark and quick or something. I don't really know, but whatever. It's still kind of cool. **

**Also, this is !IMPORTANT! Hopefully I snagged the attention of those who don't read these. Quick side note: please do. These things do contain important information once in a while, and I put effort into these things so it is kind of a respect thing too. Anyways, back to !IMPORTANT! thing. I am running out of chapters. I think that I have two or three left before I have to write more. The thing is, writer's block returned. So just so everyone knows I won't force a chapter if Monday arrives and I don't have something to post. The reason being I want HellFall to be a decent story at the least, and I won't force something simply for the sake of a schedule. Quality over quantity, like I always say. Plus the last time I tried forcing chapters I ended up abandoning the story entirely (this happened 3 times by the way and I don't want to add my longest story on top of that). So yeah, if you don't get a chapter in a little while on the scheduled day, you know why. **

**Anyways, as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter. **


	87. White II Chapter 9

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Let me just start off by apologizing for how late this chapter is. Contrary to what you probably thought, I wasn't out of chapters. I've been kind of busy and haven't always been able to get to my computer and edit, or even write for that matter. **

**Hopefully you guys like this chapter, though, considering the wait. I kind like it, it sets up some cool stuff.**

* * *

Rocks crunched and clattered against each other. I looked up, seeing Cerberus pulling up armfuls of dirt and rock as he dug at the doorway.

"Cerberus, stop!" Gazini called, running towards him.

"We have to keep moving" He replied simply, not stopping.

"We need time to heal," Gazini retorted, "Not everyone is as experienced as you are. Just wait a bit longer"

Cerberus stopped long enough to turn and look at the red haired man. "They're already on their way" He said, then continued digging.

"Wh-" Gazini started, "How can you know that?"

"I can feel them" He replied, starting to dig again.

After brief hesitation, Gazini grabbed Cerberus by the shoulder and yanked him away. They faced each other, and Cerberus did not look happy. He pointed a thick finger at Gazini, "Don't ever touch me again" He said.

At first I didn't notice it, but upon a second glance I did. His hands, they weren't human. They were that of a mole, thick clawed, pale, and bigger than any human hands were. Gazini seemed to notice this too.

"You're a Faunus" He said quietly, taking a step back.

"Yes." He replied, "My race and semblance are the same"

Gazini nodded, seeming to understand. Cerberus could feel the next group of Heishi coming in the ground.

Our leader turned to the group, "Alright everyone, in case you didn't hear, we got another group coming in. Prepare for battle"

Octavia stepped forward, "Step aside Cerberus." She said, drawing her hammer, "We need more time for these pansies" She shoved the large mole man aside. He cast her a frustrated glance, but she completely ignored him.

Two thin rods stretched out from the butt of the staff of Thunder Cyclone. They bent downwards and stabbed into the ground.

"Tell me when they're close Cerby" She said, holding the hammer by the head and pointing the bottom of the staff at the closed door.

Cerberus didn't acknowledge the nickname he'd just been given. Instead he pressed his hand against the ground and stared towards the door.

I listened closely. There was a small noise in distance. I assumed that it was them.

My attention returned to Octavia. She seemed to be able to hear it too.

"They're close" Cerberus said.

Octavia did something, what it was I couldn't tell, and the head of her hammer split apart, each face folding outwards around the staff, creating a sort of shield in front of her. The splitting head revealed a somewhat hollow interior, but more than that a gun stock, handle, trigger, and magazine of bullets. The head of the hammer had a mold inside it where the other half of the gun was placed when it wasn't being used.

She gripped the handle and cocked the gun, ready to shoot. To top it off, she slid open a narrow clear slip in the shield in front of her face and looked through it.

The crushing noise came again, and the doors began to open.

The second they were even the tiniest bit Octavia squeezed the trigger. Bullets slipped between the doors, and the sound of impact, screams, and crumbling rock filled the air.

I stood; ready to fight just in case.

"How many more?!" Octavia called over her blazing gun.

"I can't tell." Cerberus replied, "It's really confusing in there"

The gun ran out of ammunition, and Octavia set to loading it. Soon enough, the Heishi began to stagger through the doorway, most still living. Only a few bodies lay lifeless on the ground.

"I'm gonna need some cover!" She yelled.

Gazini was out, Arkynshihn split down the middle in bow form, an arrow balanced and ready to let loose. He did just that, sticking the arrow straight into a Heishi's neck. He made a rough gurgling noise, then fell to the ground.

Hail stepped in, switching her scythe to gun position and squeezing the trigger. The bullets merely bounced off the Heishi armor, occasionally one piercing skin.

I stepped up, sheathing my sword and drawing my needle point shurikens. Taking one in one hand, I threw it as hard as I could. It grazed right through the high black collar of a Heishi's armor, piercing his forehead. Blood popped out as he fell to the ground, dead.

Octavia finished loading and released another flurry of bullets. By now almost everyone was firing on the doorway. No one wanted to deal with them again, especially in this small room.

By the time they were all dead I was exhausted, the tiny bit of aura I had left depleted at the use of my semblance.

I looked over at Ember, hoping that she was ready to keep moving. She felt her cheek, and her eyes widened. It was sealed closed, but indented enough for her to be able to feel it. She looked over at me.

"You okay?" I asked.

Slowly she nodded, not saying a word.

"We need to get going pretty quick here" I said, turning to Gazini, who was retrieving his arrows from the Heishi bodies. Cerberus had torn down the door, so we didn't have to worry about it closing and cutting him off from us. I stood and went to collect my shurikens.

"Good throwing" Gazini said when he saw me pulling one from a Heishi's forehead.

"Thanks." I replied, "Good shooting"

"Thanks." He said, "Where'd you learn to do that, anyway? It didn't look like you were even aiming"

"It's my semblance." I replied, "Perfect precision in everything that I do, so long as I have aura left"

"Ah," he replied, "convenient"

"Oh yes"

* * *

"Alright," Gazini called out after a brief break, "I know some of us are still tired, but we need to get moving. We can't stay here any longer. Ready or not, we have to leave. Okay?"

No one responded verbally. A few of us nodded, but that was it.

"Good, let's go" He said, taking up the lead down the tunnel. I followed at the back with Dennis and Ember.

"Wintanweorth," Ember said as we walked, speaking quietly, "will this ever heal?"

I looked at the scar on her cheek. "Not fully, I don't think" I replied.

She nodded solemnly. I knew that she knew that, but probably hoped for some assurance from me. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to give that to her.

At the end of the tunnel was a wide staircase. It appeared to be in good order, better actually. It looked very well kept and almost new. The cramped stone walls gave way to smooth white tiles, and the floor to a flat grey stone.

The bottom of the stairs revealed a hallway stretching down only a little ways before hitting a wall. Behind the stairs was another hall, only more crumbled and broken apart than the one ahead. The walls were crushed and hanging out, but it wasn't impossible to move through. There wasn't anything there really; a few doors leading to empty rooms.

"I've been here before." Octavia said upon seeing the first room, "We made holes in the wall when we came through. I guess they fixed them"

"We?" Gazini asked.

"The other test subjects and I" She replied.

We moved on to the other hallway and busted down each door. The lights were always off, and each room was full of shelves of chemicals or failed experiments, both living and dead. Mostly dead, by what I saw. The smell was both new and nasty in every room, and the appearance of everything was something I wouldn't wish upon my greatest enemies. Twisted bodies formed and contorted in ways that I didn't think possible. Animals, humans, and Faunus, all just expendable experiments in the eyes of the scientists behind it all.

There was only one door left. Everyone feared what would be behind it. More experiments, something else? Living, maybe? We all had our theories.

Inside the lights were, as expected, off. I heard the flick of a light switch, and the room was revealed. We had walked into an amphitheater. Chairs lined up across the descending floor, with an aisle right down the middle leading down to a wide wooden stage. A set of bright red curtains hung from the ceiling, hiding the backstage.

No one spoke a word. I was quite shocked, and I assumed everyone else felt the same way. It was so out of place to be believable right away. But even after blinking and staring, the stage did not waver.

"What is this?" Dennis finally said.

"The amphitheater" Someone replied. I wasn't entirely sure who.

"Well, duh, but why is it here?" Dennis asked.

"For the main act" Again that same person replied.

"This isn't a joke." He said, "Who's saying that?"

"I am" The voice was distant this time, but distinctly the same. It bounced off the walls until it reached our ears. We turned to the stage, seeing a woman clad in a short red dress emerge from behind the curtain. She had long black hair and yellow eyes, and I recognized her in an instant.

Pyre Fall.

* * *

**So there you have it. We finally know Wintanweorth's semblance (took a while, eh?), along with Octavia's weapon transformation (also took a while), and, of course, Pyre Fall. **

**Again, so sorry about the lateness. Life is busy sometimes, you know? I'm hoping to finish Part 2 by the time summer starts, but it is kind of doubtful with my current pace. **

**Anyways, not a whole lot to say. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	88. Violet II Chapter 7

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**I made sure I was on time this week. It feels a little early, but that's to be expected. **

**It's around this point in which the story gets a bit more brutal, I'd say. And I think that the plot picks up again, in case you haven't already noticed by last week's chapter. **

**Anyways, let's get on with it!**

* * *

The woman before us, standing atop the stage, was familiar. From where, I wasn't entirely sure. I searched my mind for a name to place on her face, but Gazini beat me to it.

"Cinder Fall" He said.

"Gazini Void." She replied, "It's so great to finally meet you in person"

Something about her scared me. Her voice was sinister and yet smooth as silk, seductive even. I was almost attracted to her voice. Had I not known of her past acts, I think any man would want to be with her.

"So you know me" Gazini said.

"Yes" She replied.

"Well, I suppose that we should-"

"Sorry," she started, cutting him off mid-sentence, "I don't have time. Got to run, you know? Apparently my brother has been having some trouble lately"

I suddenly remembered: This woman killed Xeyrus. As she turned to leave I called out, "Stop!"

She froze, turning her head around to sneer at me.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Weren't you paying attention?" She asked, "I'm off to find my brother"

"Why did you do it?" I demanded.

"Do what?" She asked, snickering.

"You know what" I replied.

She opened her mouth to answer, but turned and dodged backwards at the last second. I saw Wintanweorth and Ember charging towards her, their weapons swinging.

As if on cue the curtains snapped open, revealing a small army of Heishi. They spread out, as did we, finding opponents. I went straight for Cinder.

She had two black short swords and fought off both Ember and Wintanweorth. By her facial expression and the reddening color of her skin I could tell that she was struggling. _Another opponent will break her_, I thought, drawing my hammer and bringing down on her. It slammed into her shoulder, cracking the bones underneath.

She dropped a sword, but persisted in fighting us off.

"Why did you burn down my village?!" Wintanweorth cried, swinging his katana down on her. She rolled, dodging the attack, but didn't respond.

I swung my hammer sideways, hitting her hard in the gut. Wintanweorth charged her, grabbing her neck between his fingers and pinning her against the wall. His sword went straight to her neck.

"Why?!" He demanded.

"HellFall" She replied simply.

"What does that mean?!" He yelled, slamming her head against the wall again.

"Do you know how long we've had this plan in motion?" She asked, "The Nalakians were a threat. We needed to eliminate them all"

"Why?!"

"HellFall"

"What does that mean?!"

She sneered, her body thrusting slightly. Wintanweorth backed away, dropping his blade. Cinder's second black short sword was lodged in his gut. Blood dripped heavy and crimson from the handle.

For a second I was still, watching him shuffle backwards. When I turned back Cinder was gone.

I ran past the curtains, hoping to find her. Sure enough, there she was, running backstage. I followed after her, hammer over my shoulder.

She glanced back, seeing me, but kept running.

As I ran I transformed my hammer into a gun and pulled the trigger. Her aura was up, so the bullets simply bounced off her skin. I sheathed my hammer and pumped my arms, focusing as much strength as I could into catching up to her.

Finally I was mere feet away from her. I dived, barely grabbing her ankles and throwing her to the floor. Her face crashed against the wooden boards.

Pulling myself up, I dropped sharply onto her spine and pulled her head back by her hair.

"Why did you do it?" I demanded fiercely.

"Do what?" She spat.

"You know what" I replied.

"Look, I already told your buddy there, the Nalakians were-"

"I don't give a shit about those Nal-whatevers!" I burst, "Why did you kill him?!"

"Who?"

"Xeyrus Love!"

"What?"

"Xeyrus Love! You killed my teammate!"

"I've never seen the guy!"

I slammed her face against the wood, "Liar!"

Her body began to shake slightly, but I stayed where I was, unsure of what was going on, yet unwilling to lose my position. Suddenly everything burst into flame; the floors, the walls, everything.

The next thing I knew I was laying on my side. Opening my eyes, I saw Cinder standing before me.

"You know what happens next, right?" She said. I looked up, seeing her face covered in blood. Her nose was twisted sideways, and I swore I saw some bone sticking out. She may have been pretty before, but not so much anymore. "I'm going to burn you to death"

"Don't count on it princess" I said, trying to stand. Instead I felt a sharp kick to the face. My hands went straight to my nose as I groaned.

"It doesn't feel good, does it?" She asked, kicking my hands away, then kicking my nose again.

I felt warm blood dripping from my nostrils, and yet I continued to try to stand. She allowed me to this time. I staggered a little, but held my gaze with her the best I could.

She smirked, "Wow, whatever shred of beauty you had before is completely gone. How does it feel?"

"I don't need to impress a little shit like you." I replied, "So come on, let's go" I raised my fists, ready to fight. My hammer hung from my back, but I'd probably be too slow with it. The thought that it was there had also slipped my mind for the time being, so I didn't use it.

She smiled, raising her hand and throwing a fireball at me. I tried dodging, but I was so disoriented that I simply fell over.

Now she laughed. "Nice moves" She mocked.

I stood back up, raising my fists again. If anything, I had to rely on my aura, which I assumed was almost depleted by now. Still, I gestured with my fingers for her to fight me.

She frowned this time. It was an ugly frown, but maybe that was because of all the blood. She threw another fireball, this one much bigger.

I raised my hand and activated my aura. The flame flew straight into my hand, as if being absorbed.

Both our faces showed surprise. _What happened?_ I thought, unsure of how to react.

Cinder backed up, smiling. I assumed that she caught on to the fact that I had no idea what had happened. And then came the fireballs: too many to count at the time. I brought up my aura, and my whole body absorbed each wisp of flame.

When she finished I smiled; trying to give off the impression that I knew what was going on. Cinder finally brought up her fists, realizing that her flames were futile.

I charged to punch her, and as I swung my fist put up my aura to avoid scarring my own knuckles. A ray of flame shot from my clenched fist, spraying across her face as my fist collided with her.

She fell backwards, the look of surprise and confusion plain as day across her face.

"Don't think you can trick me," she said, regaining her posture, "I know you have no idea what you're doing"

"Do you?" I asked, smiling contemptuously despite knowing she was right.

She rolled her eyes, raising her fists again.

I swung my fist at the air in her direction, and yet again fire spouted from my knuckles. She simply adjusted herself, avoiding the blast completely.

She charged, and as she neared me I ducked down and swept my leg. She leapt at the last second, reaching out to me with her hands and grabbing the top of my head. Her hands found their way to my dreadlocks and she yanked.

I reached back and grabbed her wrists, then ran backwards as fast as I could, slamming her back into the wall. _You wanna fight dirty?_ I thought, _Fine_.

While she was still limp and recovering I pulled her over my head and slammed her against the floor. She was surprisingly light. I heard something crack, but persisted without a second thought. My foot found its way to her broken face and I pushed, pulling her arms at the same time. She flailed in a desperate attempt to escape, but I wouldn't have it. I kicked her multiple times, cracking her skull against the floor over and over.

"Now, that's not way to treat a lady" Someone said. The voice was familiar, but from whom I, once again, didn't know.

I looked up, seeing a woman emerge from the shadows of another room, and gasped. Her skin was pale, and her eyes a deep brown. She was clad in a violet vest which defined her figure quite well, and black tight pants covered her legs. A blue-green cloak rested on her shoulders and covered her arms. It almost appeared to glow.

But none of that stood out to me as much as her hair. It was the same blue-green as her cloak, and again, appeared to glow.

It was Gale Sheng.

She smirked, cocking her head towards me a little, "Surprised?" She asked.

In my shock Cinder escaped, scampering to her feet. She raised her fists and slugged me hard in the face. I fell to the ground, the punch hurting more than it probably should have.

As I stood I spoke a single word. "You"

"Me?" Gale asked, snickering, "Yes, what about me?"

"You did this" I said.

"Did what?" She asked, "Take your beloved semblance?"

My hand felt its way to Thunder Cyclone, which I'd almost forgotten was still there.

"What?" She snickered, "You want to kill me?"

I shook my head slowly, "No," I replied, "I'll make you give it back. Then I'll kill you"

She smiled, "I wish I could stay and play, dear one." She said, her high voice mocked me, "But I really must be going" At that she started to turn to leave. As she did I caught a glimpse of something behind her, but before I could identify it Cinder was on me again.

"Get back here!" I called, grabbing Cinder's face and trying to push her away.

"I do want to fight you," she replied calmly, "but I have important business to attend to. Nor are you in any condition to fight me"

"Oh yeah?" I called, "Try me!"

It was too late. Gale was gone.

* * *

**So there you have it. The last chapter's ending was a little misleading, I know. It wasn't Pyre Fall, it was Cinder (all will be explained, don't worry). Of course, there's the fight that is clearly ongoing. Apparently I'm pretty good at stretching those things out for a while now. And, of course, one of my favorite villains of mine is finally revealed in full: Gale Sheng. Hit me up with a review and tell me what you think was behind her. I'm curious as to what everyone thinks after all this time. **

**Anyways, not much to say. I need to do more writing, as if I haven't said that enough already. **

**As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	89. Violet II Chapter 8

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**The last chapter ended with a bit of a cliffhanger, so I'll get right into it. I have some !IMPORTANT! stuff to talk about after the chapter, so stick around for that. **

* * *

Cinder threw a punch, landing it square in the middle of my face. I was too distracted trying to get to Gale that I barely took notice of my current opponent.

Finally deciding that if I wanted to reach her I needed to get past Cinder, I switched my focus to her.

As she charged I drew my hammer, swinging it as I did so. It hit her right in the hip, sending her flying sideways. She slammed into the wall, crumbling it as she did so.

I walked quickly towards her, eager to end the fight.

"You'll never catch up to her…" She said between breaths, "You'll have to wait your turn"

"Looks like your turn is about up" I replied, raising my hammer and preparing to bash her head in.

I swung once, Thunder Cyclone bouncing backwards off her aura. I swung again, shattering the shield. Three times I swung now, knocking her unconscious. Blood trickled down from between her hairs and off the crumbled wall. Raising my hammer, I readied myself to finish her off.

"Octavia!" Someone called.

I turned. It was Gazini.

"What?" I asked, "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"We need her alive!"

"Why?"

"For questioning!"

I sighed, lowering my hammer. He was right, I knew that. Still, it was frustrating. I looked her straight in the face, and although she couldn't hear me I spoke anyway, "You were lucky this time"

Gazini appeared next to me, "Holy…" She gasped upon seeing her, "What did you do you her?"

"I beat her up" I replied simply.

"Oh really?" He asked with sarcastic surprise, "Okay, well, let's get her out of this wall then, shall we?"

"What about the Heishi?" I asked.

"Still out there." He replied, "She's not going anywhere though. We just need to secure her body"

I put my hammer away and pried the bloodied woman out from the wall, and Gazini and I carried her out into the open stage.

"We'll just put her over here" Gazini said, carrying her towards the wall. Wintanweorth leaned against the wall as well, his hand placed on his gut.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah," he replied, "sort of. I got stabbed, so it kind of hurts"

"If anyone tries to take Cinder," Gazini started as he laid her down, "Call for us. I'll try to stay nearby, okay?"

"Sure thing" he replied.

"Thank you." Gazini said, turning to me. "Now, let's get to work"

"Gale Sheng was here." I said. "Backstage"

He hesitated for a second, "Seriously?" He asked.

"Yes." I replied, "I'm going after her"

"Alright," he said, "don't kill her, alright?"

"I'll do my best" I replied, turning without another word and disappearing behind the red curtain.

* * *

I was running as fast as I could while still focusing my aura to slowly heal myself. If she wouldn't fight me then, she'd have to if I was in good health.

When I reached the room I'd first met her I stopped and looked around, unable to remember exactly where she'd gone. I believed it to be forward, so I continued on that way.

I ran past piles and piles of wooden boxes, some of which were stacked neatly, others not so much. Some were tilted on their sides with their contents hanging out. Dead bodies, spilled chemicals, glowing liquids. Weird science stuff I assumed.

Finally I arrived in a massive room, the walls lined with stacks of boxes.

My nose had healed by the time I saw her. She was slowly approaching a staircase in the far wall.

"Gale!" I screamed, charging towards her.

She turned, and I saw a smile play across her lips. And just like that she broke into a sprint and vanished up the stairs, something dragging behind her.

I chased her up the steps. There were a lot of them, twisting around in a circle.

After what felt like an eternity I arrived at the top. My thighs burned and I could barely breathe. I took a second to look around. I was on top of a mountain; only the ground was flat and covered by a layer of grey pavement. The sides weren't blocked by railings, so there was nothing stopping me from falling.

Wind rushed past my face. It felt nice, especially after being underground for so long. I breathed a deep breath, feeling the sweat on my forehead cooling.

I continued to scan the area until I saw her.

Gale stood at the very edge farthest from me. I thought about calling out to her, but last time I did that she ran away, and I didn't want that. So I started walking. She didn't move at all until I was mere meters away from her, at which point she turned around. I stopped in my tracks.

"You are persistent, aren't you?" She asked.

"I want my semblance back" I said.

She smiled, "You want it back?" She asked, "But what about the one I _gave_ you?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked. As soon as I'd said it I realized the answer.

"The fire." She replied, "Haven't you noticed? You can absorb and control fire now. Isn't that better?"

"I want my old semblance back" I replied simply.

"Well," she started, "we'll need to find the second party, who is, for all we know, dead"

"Second party?"

"Well yes, I couldn't just conjure up that semblance for you. You switched with someone else"

"Who?"

"What does it matter?"

"Are you stupid?"

She smirked, "Maybe, but if you ever want your old semblance back you're going to have to find her. Oops, I guess that narrows it down for you"

"You know who it is, don't you?"

"Well of course." She replied, "It's my experiment"

I paused, knowing that she wasn't going to tell me who it was through simple Q&amp;A. "Why did you do it?" I asked instead.

"It's an experiment." She replied, "I wanted to see if I could remove a semblance, an aura, completely and entirely. Sadly, it didn't work out"

"Why?"

"I'm sorry," she started, "but I believe that I just answered you"

"No, I mean why remove aura?" I asked, "What's the point?"

"Why do you think?" She laughed, "I'd be the most powerful creature in all of Remnant! No one could stand against me"

I reached back to my hammer, knowing that there wasn't anything else to say. And yet she kept talking.

"You really want to fight?" She asked.

"I'm not leaving without your head"

"That's a little dark, isn't it?"

Thunder Cyclone came out as I readied for the upcoming battle. Regardless of what she wanted, I would fight her.

Gale just laughed and sighed, "Fine, I guess I'll have to take care of you" She reached up and undid the clip on her cloak, dropping it off her shoulders. Her hand went to her back and returned with a short green baton. It clicked and spun in her hand, steam spouting out as it extended into a staff. A circular blade curved out from the top. It was very similar to that of a saw blade, only it was thicker and a bigger hole was cut into the center.

Then she did something that I couldn't have anticipated.

Brightly colored, mostly blue, long feathers sprouted up from behind her. The top of each feather was dotted with a green eye shape. I gasped. She was a peacock Faunus.

In my shock I couldn't move, but she did. She moved quickly, screaming a high-pitched squeal as she did so.

Her blade descended upon me, and at the last second I dodged to the side. She adjusted herself mid-swing, turning it into an attack from the side. My hammer came up, blocking the blade with its staff.

I looked into her eyes for the briefest of moments, and I almost ceased to move yet again. Her face appeared to have contorted, lengthened. Her eyes were long and cracked by red veins. Her mouth gaped open, a deep purple tongue rested on her lower lip as saliva dripped to the ground.

She drew her weapon back, then went in for another strike. I tried to perform an uppercut, hoping that I'd hit her first. I did, and she flew into the air.

As she descended her feathers stretched out again, creating yet another shocking spectacle. The sun shone behind her, reflecting the colors but casting a shadow of darkness over the rest of her body.

I stepped aside and leapt into the air when she got close enough, then swung downwards. My hammer slammed into her back, sending her into the ground below.

When I landed she stood painstakingly. The skin on her face was torn, yet no blood dripped from it. Furthermore, she held onto that horrifying look.

She charged, swinging her blade.

I readied myself, but for a split second my attention turned to someone behind Gale. A young woman, Ember, had emerged from the staircase.

And in that split second I was exposed.

Within that moment, barely more than a glance, I felt Gale's blade cut through my shoulder, and I felt the hot blood stream down my body, soaking into my clothing.

* * *

**So there you have it. The grand reveal of Gale Sheng. Now you know why she's one of my favorite OC villains. A little creepy, yes. That's what I was going for. And of course, this curious development at the very end. **

**As for the !IMPORTANT! notice, I am going away for a portion of this summer, starting next week. I'm volunteering, as I did last summer. Moreover, I won't have my old, better computer for the summer yet again, which means I'm using this crummy old thing. You can't see it, but it kind of sucks. So, what does that mean for you? Well, it means that I may or may not get a chapter out every week. And if I do, it'll come on Saturday, not Monday. Fortunately, this summer I'm gone for the first three weeks only, but I will be doing other stuff throughout, including more potential volunteering, so some chapters may come on Monday and some on Saturday. It'll be kind of unpredictable. Anyways, there you go. I worried that this would be the last chapter for two months, but then I realized how it ended. Yeah, that's not happening. I might take a brief hiatus, though, just once this little segment is done. **

**So there you go, that was a little !IMPORTANT! to read. If you didn't, please go back and do so. **

**Anyways, as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	90. Orange II Chapter 4

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Wow, what's it been, two weeks? That's too long, especially with this kind of a set of chapters. **

**I actually had a break at home about nine days ago, but I was so tired that I just didn't want to do anything. I'm still pretty tired, but this chapter needs to come out. **

**Anyways, you've waited far too long, so here it is!**

* * *

I arrived just in time to witness Octavia lose her right arm to the hands of a brightly feathered woman.

Gazini had sent me after her, just to make sure she was okay. Clearly she wasn't.

"Octavia!" I called, panicked.

The woman, whom I presumed was Gale Sheng, turned. Her face was contorted and creepy, and I almost stopped moving. The memory of Bleddyn flashed into my mind, and I snapped out of it quickly. That wouldn't happen again.

Octavia fell to the ground, blood streaming out from the stub that was her arm.

I started towards Gale. "Get away from her!" I called, ready to fight.

The woman turned her body completely so that she faced me. Then she charged, her tongue lolling back and forth with each step she took.

Her weapon came towards me. In an instant I raised my hand, drawing the blade from my palm and stopping her weapon between my own weapon and fingers.

I twisted my arm around, hoping the take the staff from her. It failed, but I twisted her body around. While she was distracted I stabbed forward with my other palm sword, catching her cheekbone slightly. She seemed to be flailing around, so it was hard to predict where she'd be moving next.

We separated, and she charged again, reminding me of Bleddyn's fighting style.

I tried shooting her, but that didn't work. Each bullet passed through her body with barely a sign that they had.

When she was close I ducked and stabbed her in the gut. As I drew my blade I found it perfectly clean, and I saw her body contort where I'd stabbed her. I was confused for a second, but rolled to the side as quickly as I could. Luckily she didn't try attacking while I was down.

"What are you?" I asked.

"Oh, you'd like to know, wouldn't you?" She replied simply. Her voice was both hoarse and hollow.

This time I charged, swinging my blades. She deflected the blow, and we exchanged hits back and forth. While her weapon merely bounced off my ever growing aura, my weapons broke her skin but never seemed to do any damage. I didn't even see any blood.

When she finally knocked me back with a blow to the nose she stopped. I felt blood drip down off my face, but instead of holding it focused my aura as best I could.

By now Gale's face was covered in scars. Her skin seemed to function as a tarp resting on her face by now instead of actual skin. She reached up with one hand and gripped the skin, then yanked it off, revealing the muscle and skull behind. Her eyes still rested in her eyeholes, and her teeth didn't move.

Now I couldn't move.

And of course, now she charged.

"Ember!" Octavia called from somewhere behind Gale. I struck up my foot, snapping back to reality. I kicked her staff backwards, but she quickly adjusted herself and swung downwards at a different angle. I wouldn't be able to get my foot down in time to block the attack in a more comfortable position, so I shot the spiked whip out from my foot and swung it downwards. It caught on her shoulder and dragged across her body.

She spun slightly, and her weapon adjusted so that it didn't hit me.

As I regained my posture, however, she struck once again. My gut split open, blood pouring out. I coughed, falling backwards onto the ground. I didn't even have the energy to retract my whip back into my foot.

She reached out, grabbing my whip and dragging me across the ground. I could do nothing but focus my aura and try to close the wound.

As we reached the edge of the platform I saw Octavia. She reached out, grabbing my hand. We stopped for a second, but Gale just gave a yank and we were separated yet again.

Suddenly I felt the ground below me vanish. I was in the air, spinning around. And then I was flying, flying out in open air towards the mountains around us.

And all I could do was focus my aura.

My foot made contact with another mountain, then my other foot, then my back, and finally my head. I started to slide, falling down the mountain. My head and spine cracked against every small crag and bump in the side of the giant rock until the whip in my foot caught on to something and I stopped abruptly.

The blood was rushing to my head, both inside and outside my body. And still, I focused my aura. The wound was sealing itself far too slowly.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Gale looking down at Octavia, her hand clasped around her neck.

_Come on_, I thought, _hurry up!_

Gale slammed Octavia's head against the ground.

I felt adrenaline start to pump through my body, and the scar across my gut began to heal at over double the speed of before. Moments later I was pulling myself upwards by retracting the whip. When I found the crag which it had hooked onto I pulled myself up onto it and watched as Gale beat Octavia, meanwhile trying to find a way back onto the platform.

_I guess the only thing I can do is jump_, I thought, bracing myself. Taking a deep breath, I threw myself off the small crag.

I almost reached the platform, and yet still came up short. At the last second I shot one whip from my foot up into the air. By some miracle it hooked onto the edge and caught me. I started to retract it and pull myself up.

Then I saw Gale's face. She was looking down at me, saliva dripping off her tongue. Almost on instinct I shot my second whip. It flew into the air, finding its mark in the left eye. She screamed and stood, backing away.

By the time I reached the platform she had pried the whip from her eye, along with the eyeball from her skull, and was charging towards me.

I drew both palm blades and charged, stabbing her through both shoulders and pushing her back. I swung my hands side to side, widening the wounds in her shoulders, yet never allowing them to leave her body.

Octavia appeared behind her, grabbing the back of her neck with one hand and pulling her back. She threw her body over her head as if she weighed nothing. Gale skittered across the platform, unable to catch herself. Her legs fell over the edge and she began to claw at the ground, but to no avail.

She disappeared over the edge. Where she went, neither of us knew.

Octavia fell to the ground, panting.

I struggled to catch my breath, feeling my consciousness slipping away. I glanced down, seeing yet another gaping, bloody wound going straight through my body, this time it went right under my ribcage. My vision darkened until I could see no more, and the last thing I felt was my head hitting the pavement.

* * *

**So there you have it. A little short, I know. But oh well. Gale's kind of crazy, too, which is probably why I like her so much. **

**What do you guys think happens next? To our main antagonists here? Tell me in a review, I'm curious. **

**Also, !IMPORTANT! just so you know I'm taking a hiatus until I get my old computer back now. Believe it or not, there's a natural break in the story right here. The next chapter is a Pink chapter, so not even someone who was in this group. But yeah, just be aware, no more chapters for a month or more.**

**Anyways, I think that's about it. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in a little while! **


	91. Pink II Chapter 6

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Man, it has been a while. I had a great time this summer, but now it's back to school. Back to waking up early every morning, sleeping through class, eating half-assed, handmade lunches, and worrying about our futures/careers/how we'll convince our parents to lone us money/whatever the rest of you are in between. Yay. Anyways, I hope ya'll had a great summer as well, and I hope ya'll are also ready for this story to continue. **

**I'm actually working through the climax right now, so I did a fair bit of writing recently. Despite that, however, this chapter is pretty slow, unexciting, unproductive, all that good stuff. There is still important stuff, though, so definitely read it. It picks up a little while after the last chapter left off. Of course, if you need a refresher just go back and give the last chapter a look. **

**Anyways, let's get on with it!**

* * *

The elevator arrived later that same day. The day the group was sent out to find anything they could in Cor Village.

My team wasn't sent anywhere today. So we were left to sit and wait anxiously for the other two groups.

When the elevator did arrive my team and I stood, hoping that it was one of the groups. Instead, Gazini Void and Azure Blaze walked out. Both were covered in blood and obvious hastily put on bandages.

Veil, being our leader, went to greet them.

"Is everything alright?" She asked, "Where's everyone else?"

"Either the hospital or nowhere." Gazini replied, "Is Thunder back yet?"

"No," Veil replied, "you're the first ones to arrive. What do you mean 'nowhere' though?"

He shook his head, "Never mind. I'm sure we'll have a meeting later"

Azure approached me, holding two identical brown briefcases.

"I found these." She said, "They were locked, so I don't know if their yours"

I took the cases and looked them over, then placed them both on the long wooden table behind me and cracked them open. Sure enough, there lay Candace and Sherry, my lance and sword.

I smiled, "Thank you for finding these, Azure" I said.

"It's no problem." She replied, "I kind of stumbled on them"

I smiled politely, "So," I started, changing the subject, "what did Gazini mean when he said some people were nowhere? Do you know?"

She hesitated, looking down at the ground for a second. I saw her pale face redden as tears began to roll down her cheeks, "We don't know where some of our people are." She replied, "Specifically Ember, Wintanweorth, and Octavia"

Immediately I knew why she was crying. Octavia was the last member of her team, next to her. Xeyrus and Nello were both dead.

"I'm the only one left of ONAX" She said between light sobs.

"I-I'm so sorry" I said.

"Don't apologize," She said, "it's not your fault or anything"

"Do you need to talk to anyone?" I asked.

"No," she replied, "thanks but, I think I'll head home for now"

"Okay," I said, "I guess I'll see you later"

"Maybe" She replied, turning and leaving up the elevator, back the way she'd come.

My team gathered around me when she'd left.

"What was that?" Veil asked.

"A few people are missing," I replied, "including Octavia Strom"

"Who's that?" Barnabas asked.

"Her team leader." I replied, "And if you recall, her other two teammates died recently"

"Oh shit" He said simply.

"Oh shit is right," I replied, "Wintanweorth and Ember are missing as well"

"Well, what now?" Barnabas asked.

"We'll just have to wait." Veil said, "I don't know how much longer Thunder is going to be. I'm just going to go take a nap. You're all welcome to do whatever"

She turned and left to the rooms provided to us by the military. No one else moved.

"I'm gonna go get a drink." Barnabas said, "Anyone wanna join me?"

"Sure" I replied.

Anchor stayed behind, indicating that he'd contact us if Thunder returned.

Outside Barnabas and I found a small café and found a table by the window.

"Well?" he asked after ordering his drink. "What do you think of all this?"

"What is there to think?" I asked, "We don't really have any info. If anything this just further proves how horrible this whole situation is"

"Well," he started, as if he was about to say something of importance, "actually, never mind. I don't know where I was going with that"

"Unsurprising" I said.

He smirked, "Right"

Our drinks, one steaming coffee and a tea, arrived. I had ordered the tea.

"On an entirely different note, how's the AOD thing going?" Barnabas asked after blowing the steam away from his coffee.

"It's good." I replied, "It's still casual, but I think if this whole thing works out I might take a position there"

"That's good." He said, "Took you long enough to decide that"

"Well," I started, "keep in mind that I said 'I might' not 'I will'. But you should sign up, too. I'm sure you'd like some of the guys there"

"Oh yeah?" He asked, "I'll think about it. Maybe"

I looked up at the door as someone walked in, "Well, speak of the devil. Look who it is"

Bole Stars looked over at me and waved, "Hey," he said, sitting down, "how's it hanging?"

"We're alright on this end." I replied, "And yourself?"

"Just got back." He replied, "It's getting harder to hold those suckers off"

"Really?" I asked, "Any idea why?"

He shrugged, "No clue. I guess the city's been feeling a little down lately. Maybe because you guys got to the final round"

I smiled, "Right," I replied, then added sarcastically, "People are sad that we're some of the best hunters in Remnant. I'm sure that's it"

"Are you excited?" He asked, "There'll be more of you tomorrow"

"Oh please," I said, "It's one extra. Remember, Guenianne fights alone"

"Yeah, well. She's basically two teams" He pointed out.

"That is true." I replied, "Why do you think there'll be two others?"

He smiled, but didn't continue. He looked over at Barnabas, "Ito, right?" He asked.

"Barnabas Ito." He replied, reaching out his hand to shake, "I don't think I recognize you"

"Bole Stars." He replied, shaking his hand, "Sorry, you're the 'I' in VAIN, right? I just figured that you preferred to be called Ito"

"No," He replied, "it just made it easier to make a team name, no matter how much of a stretch it may be"

"Yeah, it is kind of a weird name." Bole said, "Aren't team names usually based off of colors?"

"I think it's referring to veins." I put in, "like the ones in our bodies"

"But then what color is that?" Bole asked.

"Blue?" Barnabas suggested, "I don't know what color they are inside the body, but they appear that way on the outside"

"I guess so." He said, "But still-"

"It's still a stretch" Barnabas interrupted.

"Right" He said.

There was a brief silence before Barnabas spoke up, changing the subject, "So I hear Nicole here is planning on taking a position in the AOD"

"Not just a casual one, I assume?" Bole asked, turning to me.

"I'm thinking about it." I replied. "I also suggested you join Barnabas" I wanted to pin some attention on him, similarly to what he'd done to me.

"Oh yeah?" He asked, looking over at him. "You should. I've seen you fight, we could use you"

"You could use anyone" He said.

"Well," he started, "we only really accept experienced people. If you're on Nicole's team then you've definitely hunted for a while"

"Excuse me," I interrupted with a joking tone, "are you saying that I'm old?"

"Well…" Bole said, also jokingly.

We all laughed.

"But no, seriously. Both of you would be valuable assets in the AOD." Bole said, "Tell me you'll think about it" He was referring to Barnabas now.

"I'll think about it" He replied.

"Sweet"

"Oh, Bole," I started, "I found my briefcases today"

"With Sherry and Candace?" He asked.

"Yep"

"That's great! Where were they?"

"Well, I guess I didn't find them. Someone whom I asked to look out for them brought them over today"

"Nice." He said, "You didn't even have to do any work"

I just smiled. The sudden thought of Azure and her situation didn't make me feel like laughing.

"Alright," Bole started, "I'm going to go get a drink. I'll be back in a second"

He stood and went to the counter, leaving us alone again.

"Azure gave you the briefcases right?" Barnabas asked.

"Yep" I replied.

"I figured." He said, "You went dark there"

"Dark?" I asked, "Is that what you call that?"

"Whatever you want to call it" He said.

I smiled, but didn't say anything.

Bole sat down again, a steaming mug in hand.

"So how's Umber doing?" I asked Bole.

"She's good." He replied, "What about your team? Any new developments?"

"Nah," I replied, "at least, not as far as I'm concerned. Barnabas?" I turned to my teammate.

He shook his head, "I don't think so. Same old stuff"

"Well, that's good I guess" Bole said.

"Do you have a team, Bole?" Barnabas asked.

"Um, yes, I do." He replied quickly, having just taken a drink from his mug, "We all went our separate ways after graduating. I haven't really spoken to them since"

"Huh," Barnabas said, "when'd you graduate?"

Bole snickered, "Do I really look that old?" He asked.

"No, not at all." Barnabas assured him, "I'm just curious"

"I think it was, like, ten, maybe eleven years now. I think this is the eleventh year, actually" He replied.

"Really?" He asked, then turned to me, "When'd we graduate? I thought it was around the same time"

"Bole graduated a year after us." I replied, "So twelve years I think"

"Huh," He said, "been a while, eh?"

"It really has" I replied.

* * *

**So there you have it. Whatever happened to those three? Who knows? Guess you'll have to wait and find out. Also, character development in a cafe. This chapter I remember having some difficulty writing, mostly because I was trying to force out this kind of ill-timed conversation and make it mostly natural. Editing it months later I think it turned out pretty good though, and I hope ya'll feel the same. **

**Anyways, despite the long break I really don't have anything to say. HellFall Part 2 will wrap up relatively soon, hopefully, and that's about it. So get pumped or whatever. I don't know how excited you guys actually get for this story, so feel however you want or usually would I guess. **

**And as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	92. Pink II Chapter 7

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**I can't think of a single thing to say, save for this statement. Now, on with the chapter!**

* * *

An hour went by before I got a message from Anchor.

"Oh, Barnabas." I said, "Looks like Thunder's back"

"I just got the message too" He replied, standing to leave.

Bole had been gone for at least half an hour at this point. We left our mugs on the table and returned to the military base.

On our floor I saw the entire taskforce, or what was left of it, seated around the wooden table. Gazini sat at the closest head, and Thunder at the farthest.

We took our seats next to Veil and Anchor. I assumed that we were having a meeting.

"Just an hour ago our first team returned from Cor Village." Thunder started upon the rest of the taskforce's arrival, "Gazini, would you care to explain"

The crimson-haired man cleared his throat, "Well," he started, "we found their scientific research facility. It's basically abandoned at this point, I think. We fought off many Heishi, which leads me to believe that they knew we were coming. Maybe it was coincidence or maybe just good preparation, but I think there could be another mole among us.

"Moreover, we found a couple people out there that we didn't expect. Specifically in the forms of Cinder Fall and Gale Sheng. Cinder was badly injured, but she still managed to escape. On top of that, Octavia Strom, who pursued Gale, has gone missing. Upon sending Ember Bronze to find her, she also went missing."

He paused to rub the bridge of his nose and sigh, "And as if it couldn't be worse, Wintanweorth Coal is now both wounded and missing.

"As it stands everyone was injured. Whether it was major or minor, I had everyone go to the hospital. Most of us will be fine, and everyone will at least remain on the force. Save for those whom we lost"

"Did you at least look for the others?" Someone called out. It was Ruby Rose, leader of team RWBY.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Gazini retorted, "Of course we looked. All we found was a lot of blood and Octavia's severed arm. Would you like to see it?"

Ruby shook her head, looking embarrassed and a little scared.

"Did you find anything useful?" Someone else called. Yang Xiao-Long, also in team RWBY.

"No," He replied, "even if we did, we lost more than we gained. For all we know those who went missing have all the info we may have gotten"

The table went silent.

"No more questions?" Thunder asked, "Alright, let me start then." He cleared his throat, "I took a group to Aldbay, where the Plan H folder was initially found. Despite the intensive searching we found no new folders or containers of information. However, we found something much more troubling."

He took a deep breath. I looked over to see Gazini rubbing his face and knew he'd already heard this news.

"Rocco Trask lives" Thunder said.

The table went dead silent. It'd been quiet when he started talking, but it somehow it was noticeably more so now.

"What?" Azure finally called, breaking the silence, "But, but I saw him die! Gazini shot me to kill him!"

All eyes flew to Gazini. He didn't respond to the unasked question.

"Allow me to explain." Thunder said, "We killed Rocco while there, as well. Twice, actually. We found a room containing at least half a dozen clones of the same guy"

"I thought so" Dennis said. We all turned to him.

"You thought so?" Thunder asked.

"Yeah," he replied, "there was a rumor going around that the scientists were clones of their original selves. I guess it's true"

"And you never felt the need to bring this up?" Thunder asked.

"It was only a rumor." Dennis pointed out, "I figured it was bull crap"

Thunder sighed, "Fair enough." He replied, "So, now we know what we're up against. For all we know, every single one of the big four, Rain Fall, Cinder Fall, Gale Sheng, and Rocco Trask, are cloned. Moreover, they are pretty much immortal"

"So what now?" Ruby asked, "How are we supposed to beat someone who's immortal? Let alone four immortals?"

"I suggest our next plan of action be to go to Fairison, their new cloning facility, and take it out. We'll need all of us to take that place on. For all we know we could face off against hundreds of the big four each, so prepare yourselves. Gazini, get everyone you've started to recruit. And I mean everyone"

"Will do" He replied.

"Bring in your family, too" Thunder added.

Gazini paused, "I don't know if that's a good idea" He replied.

"Get them involved," he demanded, "or I will"

He hesitated, looking frustrated, "Why couldn't you bring this up in private?"

"Because here you'll feel pressured. You'll have to publicly refuse me"

He sighed, "Well, I don't feel pressured, and I will publicly refuse you"

Thunder paused, "Right," he said, "well, I'll go meet them in the morning. In the meantime, gather everyone else. And maybe try to find some others. For everyone else, get some rest. You'll need it."

* * *

I stood to leave, planning to go out again for a bit.

Thunder approached Gazini, who was walking in my direction.

"Nicole," he started.

"Gazini," Thunder said, interrupting him.

He turned, "Yes?" He asked.

Thunder stretched out a hand and placed it on his shoulder, gently guiding him to his side. He hunched over and whispered to him. Their backs were turned to me, so I assumed that whatever they were talking about was private.

I stayed where I was, knowing that Gazini had wanted to talk to me.

There was some nodding before they separated and the red-head turned back to me.

"As I was saying," he started.

"Or about to say" I put in before he could start.

"Whatever." He said, "So, you work for the AOD, right?"

"Yeah," I replied, "why?"

"I was wondering if you could get any of them on board for this upcoming raid" He asked.

I wasn't horribly surprised. He struck me as the kind of person who didn't like doing more work than he had to, and obviously he knew what I did so it wouldn't be difficult on his side.

"Um, yeah." I replied, a little awkward regardless, "I guess I could talk to some of them. You really should do it yourself though"

He paused, "I guess so." He replied, "Okay, thanks" At that he walked past me into the elevator, joining multiple other people going up.

I stayed where I was, deciding not to join them.

Sighing, I looked over at the table, seeing that my briefcases still rested by the chair. Eager not to lose them again, I jogged over to pick them up.

"Do you know where Wintanweorth went?" I heard someone say. It was a woman with a high voice.

"No, I don't" Said someone else. Another woman, but again, I didn't know who.

Looking up, I saw Weiss Schnee talking to Azure.

"Come on, you must have some lead" Weiss persisted.

"I really don't know anything more than Cor Village!" Azure replied.

I decided to intervene. Both were still young and knowing Weiss I knew that this could go either way.

"What's going on?" I asked, walking over.

"None of your business" Weiss replied.

"Don't be a child, Weiss, I can tell what's going on here" I said.

"I just want to know if they looked everywhere" She replied.

"Well," I started, "if you want to know you really should talk to Gazini. He was the leader of the operation"

"That doesn't mean that he saw everything" Weiss retorted.

"True," I replied, "but it's clear that Azure doesn't know anything"

She didn't reply.

"What are you really looking for?" I asked. I could tell that she wasn't pressing Azure for the reason she gave. It wasn't a very good one regardless.

"I want to go looking for him" She finally said.

"Right now? That's counterproductive"

"I know, but…" She trailed off, not knowing what to say next.

"I'm assuming you two were close. But you won't do anyone any good to disappear. Remember what's happening in a few days. I doubt you'll be able to find him by then"

"I know that!" Weiss exclaimed. I could tell that she was lying, but I didn't acknowledge it. "I was going to go looking after"

"Then maybe you should have asked Azure after, when she's recovered from her own loss" I pointed out, looking over at her. She was still here, just not involved in the conversation. Her face reddened a little, then she left.

"Tell you what," I started, "I'll help you find everyone after the raid. Sound good?"

"I don't need your help" She retorted.

"Weiss," I started, "I have at least ten years on you. I know what you're going through. Just let me help you"

She seemed surprised, "Okay, fine" she said, sighing.

I smiled, and she just left, seemingly frustrated. When she was out of earshot I sighed.

"You treated her like a child" Someone said behind me. I turned, it was Veil.

"She acts like one." I replied, "I was only giving her what she was asking for"

"You can be such a mother sometimes" She said.

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"Look at you, miss authority figure. Seriously, why don't you have any kids?"

"I don't want any"

"Shame"

"What?"

"It's a shame. You'd be great." She smiled, "Annoying too"

"Please," I retorted, "you know why I haven't bothered"

"I know, I know." She replied, "I'm just saying"

"So what now, oh leader?" I asked sarcastically.

She smiled, "I don't know. Waiting, I guess."

* * *

**So there you have it. Rocco lives, Weiss wants Wintanweorth, all that good stuff. I have no idea why I summarize each chapter afterwards, you just read it, so there's no point. I should stop doing this. It's a waste of time. **

**I don't know what it is, but I have so little to say tonight. **

**Oh, here's a thing. I'm sure some of you have heard of Fictionpress, the site for original stories that this site (FanFiction) also made. Well, I have an account on there under the same name (SquigglyCrunch) and I just farted out two new short stories, and there are two more on the way. So ya'll should go check them out, see what I've been writing during the summer and stuff. **

**Anyways, that's it. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	93. Azure II Chapter 8

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**I don't really have anything to report until the end of the chapter. You'll notice that this chapter is super short, unfortunately. I've recently taken to making each chapter as long as I feel it needs to be, and this one is, sadly, no exception. However, making them as long as I want means that most of them are pretty long. I just wrote a super long one, actually. I'll tell you about it afterwards (no spoilers, don't worry). **

**Well then, let's get on with it!**

* * *

I sat on my bed, entirely alone in my house. Sighing, I fell back onto the blankets and wrapped myself in them, providing some physical comfort. As much as I tried, it was hard to keep from sobbing even a little. And with no one around, I felt no reason to be embarrassed.

I didn't cry long. I'd gotten used to it by now. This was the life of a huntress. I had to be prepared to lose everything.

The kitchen was empty when I went downstairs. The television was turned off, and no one was knitting off to the side. I tried to envision everyone in their usual places, and it wasn't difficult. I barely had to try. In fact, I'd already been seeing them, wandering about the house.

"Good afternoon Azure" Nello said from the kitchen.

"Oh, hello Nello." I replied, "How's lunch going?"

He smiled, shaking his head, "Why, you hungry?" He asked.

He seemed different now, and although I wasn't willing to admit it, I knew that it wasn't him.

"Starving" I replied with a smile. In fact, I wasn't hungry in the slightest. But I'd do anything to taste his food again.

"It'll be just a few more minutes" He said, turning around and facing the stove. Nothing cooked there, so I imagined that something was. It smelled delicious.

While I waited for the meal I decided to sit down on the couch with Octavia. She'd fallen asleep, so I shook her awake.

"Wha-?" She asked, looking around with groggy eyes.

"Lunch is in a few minutes" I said.

"Is it ready?" She asked, craning her neck to look into the kitchen.

"Not yet, I said." I replied, "Soon, though"

"Then why'd you wake me up?"

"Just to make sure you weren't totally asleep when the food came"

"Oh, okay." She turned her attention to the television, "Who turned off the TV?" She asked.

No one said anything.

"I think I may have." I admitted, taking the remote control and flipping it back on, "Here you go. Choose the channel"

I handed the remote to her, but when she tried to take it it fell to the couch.

"Butter fingers" I joked, picking it up and changing the channel for her.

"Lunch's ready." Nello announced, bringing steaming plates into the living room. He set three on the table. "Xeyrus?" He asked, "You hungry?"

"Sure" he said, setting his knitting aside and taking the fourth plate from Nello.

And for the first time in recent memory, we all sat together and ate lunch.

* * *

**So there you have it. No need for a chapter summary, like I said last week. Right?**

**Anyways, about what I just wrote. I wrote about 10-15 pages over the course of the last few days, all of which are part of the climax. I'm just finishing up, actually. I'm hoping to finish Part 2 entirely by the end of the week. **

**HellFall is finally getting exciting, and I'm having a blast writing it. I'm finally doing all the stuff I planned out when I first had the idea for HellFall. The fights, the weapons, the characters, all that, and it's awesome! I love it! I hope ya'll are pumped too. There've been a handful of unplanned twists and turns throughout, but for the most part it's gone according the plan. **

**Anyways, I don't want to say too much. I'll let the actual story do the talking next week, or whenever stuff starts going down. I don't actually remember, I went the whole summer without writing, if you recall. **

**So as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	94. Pink II Chapter 8

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Stuff went down last week, and stuff's going down this week too. So let's not waste time, eh?**

* * *

Despite wanting to catch up on sleep before the big raid, my team and I needed to finish the Hunter's Tournament. We were on the last round, which was unique in that there were three teams instead of two, all fighting at the same time.

The obnoxiously loud announcer began to introduce each of us as we entered the arena.

"FIRST UP, WE HAVE TEAM VAIN. THEY'VE SWEPT VICTORY AFTER VICTORY, NEVER CEASING TO AMAZE. IS THIS THE END OF THE LINE? OR A NEW BEGINNING?

"EASILY WINNING HERSELF A SPOT IN THE FINAL ROUND IS GUENIANNE RADIANCE, THE WINNER OF THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, I'VE LOST COUNT NOW! WILL THIS BE ANOTHER VICTORY, OR WILL SHE HAVE TO STEP ASIDE FOR A NEW CHAMPION?

"AND OUR NEXT FINALIST YEAM, SNAGGING A SPOT JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME, IS TEAM HERT (heart)! IF YOU REMEMBER, THEY BARELY SQUEAKED BY THE LAST ROUND. WILL THEY MAKE IT, OR…"

The announcer trailed off as everyone's eyes fell on the approaching team. It was hardly a team, but more a duo. And that duo was unrecognizable.

One was a tall man in a grey jacket and skinny jeans. His hair was cut down to a buzz cut, and his face was long and pale. He held a long, oddly shaped gun in one of his gloved hands.

The other was a small woman. She wore leather armor over her entire body, and a brown scarf wrapped around her neck. Her hair was short, about shoulder length, and blonde. As far as I could tell she held no weapons.

"UM," the announcer stammered, "TEAM HERT?"

"Team HERT is dead!" The tall man yelled back, "They weren't anything to worry about. We're here now to take that crown!" He snickered and glanced at the short woman beside him.

No words were spoken by the announcer, or by anyone else. Not a single person had the slightest clue what to do.

The doors snapped open, revealing a group of armored security guards. Clearly, these two people weren't supposed to be here.

The man turned to the guards, while the young woman started forward.

Without much difficulty the guards were reduced to lifeless bodies by the weapon of the man. How he did it, I wasn't entirely sure. I barely saw what happened.

The young woman approached Guenianne. When I saw the champion's face I knew that she recognized her.

"What should we do?" I asked my team, finally coming to my senses.

"I don't know." Veil replied, "I've never had this happen, if you can believe it" She was clearly being sarcastic, but no one laughed.

"I say we beat up the guy." Barnabas suggested, "I mean, he did kill all those guards"

But when we looked over he was gone.

"Shoot" Barnabas said.

By now the arena and its guests had begun to panic, and most were leaving.

"Should we go?" I asked, looking around anxiously.

"ATTENTION!" Someone's voice came over the announcer's microphone. "WE ARE LOCKING DOWN THE PREMISES, STAY WHERE YOU ARE!"

"That's him." Barnabas said, "I'm going up"

"Anchor, go with him" Veil said, deciding not to oppose his plan.

Anchor nodded and followed after his tanned teammate.

"Honestly, I have no idea what to do" Veil said. Her voice was starting to shake. I knew she was starting to panic.

"Keep your head on your shoulders," I said, "don't panic. Not too much anyway" I hoped by bringing some humor to the situation she would calm down. It didn't seem to help.

In fact, as I said that things got a lot worse.

Guenianne and the short woman began to circle each other. Both of Guenianne's swords were out, and the woman had taken a stance. I saw something glint in her hands, but what it was I couldn't tell.

At the same time I could hear fighting over the microphone. Shifting gears of weapons, bullets flying, punches, groans: all the signs of a battle.

"Should we head up there?" Veil asked, turning to me. Now I knew she was panicking.

"Not yet," I said, "I'll call Gazini. Maybe he can help"

I pulled out my scroll and contacted him.

"Hello?" He asked, panting.

"Gazini, its Nicole!"

"I know!"

"We got some guys attacking the arena!"

"I'm a little busy!" He replied.

"Why, what's happening?"

After a brief pause he replied, "Shit's going down!"

"What does that mean?!" I asked.

Suddenly there was a crunching sound coming from my scroll, followed quickly by steel clashing against steel. And then an explosion, as if it couldn't get worse.

"Well?" Veil asked.

"We're on our own" I said.

"So, what do we do?"

I clipped my suitcases together by their sides and unlocked each of them, pulling out my lance and extending it. The heavy blade was attached firmly to the other end. I quickly loaded both of them with magazines, "We're going to help out our team" I replied.

As quickly as we could, we made our way to the announcement room. We found who I assumed was the announcer dead on the stairs. Veil squeaked a scream, but caught herself.

At the top of the staircase we saw the tall man fighting off both Barnabas and Anchor at the same time.

As soon as he saw us he panicked, and fell to the ground, bloodied and panting.

"So what's the plan?" Barnabas demanded, shotgun barrel aimed at his forehead.

He smiled, "HellFall" He said simply.

Each one of us froze in place.

"What does that mean?" Barnabas demanded.

"It means that Hell shall descend upon our remains" He replied.

None of us knew what to make of this new development. HellFall, or Plan H as we had learned, was happening right now apparently.

"We're not ready" Veil whispered.

"We know" The man said.

Barnabas kicked him in the chin. "Shut your damn mouth and tell us what's going on"

"Just look outside" He replied.

We turned our heads to look out the announcer's window. The sky had darkened, and literal balls of fire rained down from the sky. How, I hadn't the slightest idea.

"Ho-ly" Was all Barnabas said.

My scroll rang. I pulled it out, not once looking away from the sky.

"Nicole?" It was Gazini.

"It's raining fire. Literally!" I said.

"I noticed." He said, "It's happening. Get your team together, meet at the base. Now"

"On it." I said, hanging up. "We need to head to the base right now"

"How?" Barnabas asked, "The doors are all locked, aren't they?"

"Ever heard of jumping?" I asked.

Everyone stared at me for a long second, then looked to the window again.

"Stay here" Barnabas commanded the tall man.

"As if" He replied.

"I will kill you" Barnabas threatened.

"I'm so scared" He replied sarcastically.

Barnabas put a bullet in his knee and he screamed in pain. "You should be"

* * *

**So there you have it. A little sudden, I know, but it's just like real life, right? Stuff happens, whether your ready or not. **

**I don't know how many of you saw it, but Rooster Teeth just farted out a short film advertising RWBY Volume 4, and I'm kind of hesitant about it. Most of you probably lost your poop over it but I'm not so sure. The animation style has clearly changed, and it looks much more 2-dimensional now. I'm starting to wonder if Kerry and everyone else is trying to slowly turn RWBY into a regular 2D anime or something. If they're doing that then I'm not a fan. The quality of the show will drop pretty significantly, with the fights being not nearly as awesome as they were in the first two volumes, and now the lack of unique 3D art. Yes, it's still 3D, but it's less so now than before. Also, the character's new costumes. Blatant rip-offs of fan art. I was in the RWBY fandom until about a year ago when I realized how freaking messed up and weird it is and I saw fan art of the characters in the costumes they wear in the new short. A+ for creativity there Rooster Teeth. Too distracted with appealing to the fandom than making a legitimately good show. To be fair the costumes are pretty cool, but they are also something we've seen thanks to the fan art, and it just makes Rooster Teeth look lazy as hell. Plus, they're pretty over-the-top looking costumes, definitely not regular attire for a Sunday morning stroll, so they really don't fit the story that much either. I mean, what's even the point of changing their clothes now anyway? I wasn't bored of the original clothes, I doubt anyone's really grown out of them in the one or two years since. Regardless, the fight was cool and the short as a whole was better than all of volume 3, which isn't saying much anyway (I'm full of hate, deal with it). **

**Anyways, as most of you have figured it out, the climax has started. So get hyped and all that crap. I'll try to keep these intros and outros brief so as not to break the momentum of the story, but I just won't have anything to say really anyway. Although I guess the momentum is broken with the one week intervals. Unless your binge-reading, of course. **

**And as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	95. Crimson II Chapter 16

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Look at that, another Crimson II chapter! Man, there are a lot of those, eh? **

* * *

I pocketed my scroll and made my way to the base, limping as I did so. I'd just fought off two Heishi at once.

My scroll rang yet again.

"Hello?' I answered.

"Is everyone on their way?" Thunder asked.

"I think so"

"What about Azure?" He asked.

"No, not yet, I'll do that now"

"Call your parents." He added, "And JNPR"

I sighed, "You call" I replied, hanging up, then phoning Azure.

"Hello?" She asked, sounding calmer than I'd ever heard her.

"Azure?" I yelled over the sound of raining fire and explosions, "Where are you?"

"At home" She replied.

"Get to the base." I said. "We need to have a meeting"

"I can't right now"

"What?" I asked, "What do you mean? Look outside!"

"I'm with my team" She replied.

I was confused for a moment, then the realization began to come to me.

"I'll be there in a minute" I said, turning around and running as quickly as I could to her house, for the most part ignoring my slight limp.

After ringing the doorbell and knocking multiple times Azure answered the door. She was dressed in a blue bathrobe, and her hair wasn't tied back. She looked so pretty, especially in this situation. Peace among chaos.

She blushed, "Don't stare, what do you need?"

"I need to get you to the base." I replied, "I told you that already"

"But I'm with my team." She said, "I can't leave them"

"Your team is dead, Azure." I pointed out, "They're not here anymore"

She frowned, then stepped aside, "No, they're here. See?"

Her house was empty.

"Oh no," I muttered, "Azure, no one's there"

"Don't you see them?" She asked.

I sighed, stepping into her house and closing the door, "Azure, I need you now." I said. I placed my hands on her cheeks, "Come on, the world is ending right outside your door"

She stepped away, "The world is perfectly fine, especially now"

"Don't make me drag you" I said.

"Oh, Gazini," she said, smiling, "at least buy me a drink first"

I slapped her across the face. She stumbled, but didn't fall.

"Pull yourself together." I demanded, "Get dressed, and let's go"

She frowned, running at me with her fist raised. I caught her arm and threw her back.

"Come on, Azure. Get your head in the game" I didn't know how to react to this. I assumed that she was going crazy, but I had no idea how to deal with such a case.

Before I knew it her weapon was in her hand, having appeared almost by magic, as it often did. She stabbed me through the gut, and I felt blood gurgle out from my body.

I tried to say something, but could only mumble a few utterances before collapsing to the ground.

I felt Azure grab my shoulders suddenly. There was fear in her face now.

"No," she whispered, "don't die. I'm so sorry"

As best I could I focused my aura, drawing the weapon out slowly. I tried to heal the hole as I pulled it out, and it proved to be both painful and draining.

She started to help pull it out until all I did was focus my aura.

Finally it was out. I tried to regenerate my energy, but instead collapsed onto my side.

The last thing I remember was my scroll ringing.

* * *

I awoke in a bed. Looking around, I saw a mostly unfamiliar room. The only familiar thing was the fact that it resembled a room, which I'd been in before.

"Oh, you're awake." Someone said. It appeared to be a doctor. "Lleu Thunder is waiting for you"

I sat up, feeling much better than before. I was a little stiff, and my gut ached, but I was fine otherwise.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"He wants to have a meeting" The doctor replied.

"No," I started, "I mean, what's happening outside?"

"I don't know," he replied, "I've been down here all day"

Sighing, I moved my feet out over the floor and stood. I was dressed in a pale blue hospital gown.

"Can I get my clothes back?" I asked the doctor.

"Those old things?" He asked, "They were destroyed. Covered in blood and torn and stuff. Trust me; you don't want to wear those things anymore"

"Do you at least have something for me to wear other than this?" I asked.

"Not right now, no" He replied.

"Great." I said, "Well, I'm off then"

"You'd better" He said simply.

On my floor, I found the long table to be entirely filled by people. Thunder stood at the end, pacing back and forth.

"Gazini," He said upon my arrival, "You're awake"

"So the doctor told me." I replied, taking my place at the other head of the table, "So what's the situation?"

"The rain has stopped for the time being." He replied, "But the city is in dire need of repairs"

"No jokes, Thunder, please" I said.

"Also," he continued, ignoring me, "Rain is gone"

My eyes widened, "Seriously?" I asked.

He nodded. "Did you see any of this coming?"

I shook my head, "I didn't see a thing." I replied. "I don't think anyone could have predicted this. What about the Heishi?"

"Everywhere last time I checked"

"Well, crap" I said, adjusting my position on the chair.

No one said anything for a while.

"Is that it?" Thunder asked.

"What?" I asked.

"Is that all you're going to say?" He asked.

"What can I say?"

"I don't know, a plan?"

"I just woke up, I have no plan"

"Right" He said, sighing.

I paused to think, "You said the rain stopped? Has anything else happened?"

"Not to my knowledge" He replied.

"Well," I started, "the rain obviously wasn't natural. Maybe it has a power source that needs to be recharged"

"Which is why it stopped"

"Exactly." I said, "Of course, that is the problem"

"What if it is natural, though?" Someone asked from down the table. The voice was all too familiar. Both elegant and filled with bravery.

I leaned forward, "Hi Pyrrha" I said, none too happy that we had to finally meet again under such circumstances.

"Hello" she said, waving.

"Why would you think this would be natural?" I asked.

"Maybe the Falls knew it would happen today, so they planned for it?"

"But planned what?" I asked, "What have they even done if the rain is natural?"

"They attacked the arena" Nicole replied.

"Okay, anything else?"

"Attacked the police station" Al said. I was surprised to see him here, but happy regardless.

"And the hospital" Dennis added.

"Lots of attacks." I said, "Okay, so they took this opportunity to strike. But…" I trailed off, not understanding at all what was happening. "I haven't the slightest clue." I said, "Thunder, any ideas?"

"I think Pyrrha may be right. It came very suddenly. I doubt they'd actually do this now of all times"

"But maybe that's why they'd do it," Lie Ren said, "It's unpredictable"

"That's true" Thunder said.

"I think you guys are missing something important." Nicole said, "Rain and Cinder are both missing. Rain obviously didn't escape on his own. If this storm is man-made, they could be behind it. Remember, Cinder's semblance is power over fire"

"What if she's recharging right now?" Jaune said.

Nicole nodded, followed by several others.

"But that doesn't make sense." Carden said. I hadn't expected him to say anything, "How can she light rain on fire? Its water, it'd put it out"

"And how could she light all that rain so quickly?" Russel put in as well.

"That's a good point." Thunder said, "Gazini, got any ideas?"

"Who's to say that she's even using a rain base? What if she's just sitting in the sky and shooting fire down at us?"

"But the firestorm was across all of Atlas." Blake pointed out, "One woman wouldn't be able to consistently shoot fire with the ferocity that it's falling as consistently as she is"

"Unless she has help" Grizzly added.

"Who do we know who can also control fire?" I asked.

The room fell silent. It seemed like nobody knew.

"Has anyone ever heard of semblance splicing?" Roy asked.

"Combining semblances you mean?" Weiss asked, "It's impossible"

"How do you know?" Roy asked.

She didn't have an answer.

"What do you think, Roy?" Thunder asked.

"Rain's semblance is control over storms. Cinder can control fire. What if they were to combine them?"

"It's impossible!" Weiss exclaimed.

"You have no proof" Roy replied.

"It's an absurd idea!" Weiss yelled, "It's can't happen"

"You got a better idea?"

"Where'd you get this idea, Roy?" I asked.

He turned to me, "When Blake said 'firestorm' I remembered Rain's semblance. Cinder has the fire, Rain has the storm. You'd get a firestorm"

"But do you think that's possible?" I asked.

"The very fact that this happened is crazy enough." He replied, "How could it happen without an even crazier explanation?"

I paused, not knowing what to make of this.

"So if they are splicing their semblances, where would they be?" I finally asked.

"Above the clouds?" Yang suggested.

"Rain can create and control a storm from the ground." Roy pointed out, "I'd think they'd be somewhere secluded to stay safe"

"Wouldn't being exposed be more logical?" Jaune asked, "Otherwise they might accidently throw a fireball right into their own hiding place. If they were exposed to the sky, then they could have better control"

"They'll be high up, too." Pyrrha added, "A building could get in the way of their vision"

"Okay," I said, "that's the most logical thing I've heard all day. Thunder, have anything to add?"

He shrugged, "This is a best plan of action," he replied, "I say we go for it."

* * *

**So there you have it. It's heating up. **

**I actually quite liked this chapter when I edited it. Not totally sure why, it was just different I guess. **

**Anyways, like I said last week, short intros and outros. As usual, favorite, follow, review tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	96. Crimson II Chapter 17

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**This chapter picks up right where the last one left off, so if you need a refresher then head back other there. Otherwise, enjoy!**

* * *

The room fell silent for quite some time.

"So, what exactly is the plan?" Ruby asked.

"Good question." Thunder replied, "Gazini, what do you think?"

I sighed, "We find Rain and Cinder"

"How?" Carden asked.

"Well," I started, "I don't know, Thunder? Do you have access to anything that can sense aura?"

"Yes" He replied.

"There you go." I said, "We just hook up one of those puppies, then we'll find them in no time. If they're using their semblances to fuel this firestorm, then they will have a hell of a concentrated aura, and be using a lot of it. It'll be easy"

"To find them, yes. But what about after that?" Pyrrha asked, "We'll have to fight them, won't we?"

"I assumed we all had that figured out" I replied.

"Well, how are we going to go about that?" She asked.

"I don't know," I replied, "we'll hit 'em until they die"

"Gazini, you're not taking this seriously" Thunder said.

"I'm doing my best" I replied.

"We can't send everyone in at once," Lie Ren said, "It'd be too chaotic, and with all the Heishi around there'd be no one outside protecting people"

I nodded, "So what are you suggesting here Ren?" I asked.

"I'm suggesting we break off into three groups. One to fight Cinder, one for Rain, and the third for the Heishi" He replied, speaking so quickly one would've figured he'd thought this plan through at least a little.

"Okay," I said, "For the first two you mentioned we'll need the best we have. Maybe two or three in each of those teams. Thunder, any idea who's the best here?"

He paused to think, "Well," he started, "I haven't seen you all fight, but from what I know, you, Pyrrha, Roy, Barnabas, and…Nicole?"

"That sounds about right to me" I said.

"So," Thunder started before I could continue, "Roy, Nicole, and Barnabas, you three go together to Cinder. Sound good?"

All three nodded.

"Gazini and Pyrrha, you two go together against Rain. Alright?"

"Okay" Pyrrha said, throwing a slight smile my way.

I was none too happy about the pairing, but I didn't argue. It was a good pairing for a fight as important as this one.

"Good," Thunder said, "The rest of you, get out there and kill some Heishi. Get the citizens to the safe houses. You other five, wait here. Once we locate Rain and Cinder we'll inform and drop you all off. Good?"

He received a handful of nods, grunts in acknowledgement, and lots of stares.

He clapped his hands together, "Good. Meeting adjourned"

Everyone who hadn't been singled out stood and went to the elevator.

I approached Thunder, "Did you call my parents?" I asked.

"Yes," he replied, "They're on their way"

"Great" I groaned.

"What's so bad about them anyway?" He asked, "I hear they're fantastic"

"They are," I replied, "I just don't want to deal with them right now"

"Oh," he said, "That's a shame. Is Pyrrha gonna be too much trouble then?"

"No," I replied, "It was a good call. It's probably our best chance, anyway"

"Oh, one more thing," he leaned in towards my ear, "Team STEW, you remember them? Well, the prison broke down when the firestorm hit, so they're out and about"

"Any idea where they are?" I asked.

"Not a clue." He replied, "They probably don't even have scrolls yet. I'm sure you'll run into them along the way"

"Great. Thanks" I said.

"No problem"

"Gazini?" Pyrrha asked from behind me.

I turned as Thunder walked away, "Oh, hello again. It's been a while"

"It sure has." She said, "Too bad we had to meet again like this"

"Yeah, it's a little frustrating"

"So mother and father are coming?" She asked after a brief pause.

"Apparently they're on their way." I replied, "I don't know if they'll be here on time though"

She forced a smile, "Right." She said, "Plus if they have their team with them…"

"It'll be a while" I finished, knowing precisely who she was talking about.

"Exactly"

There was a brief moment of pause.

"We'll have to catch up after this, eh?" She said.

"Yes, definitely" I replied. At that exact moment I looked ahead in time, hoping to see the conversation and skip her portion of it. But I found something else. Apparently that conversation would be farther away than I would have thought.

"You there?" She asked.

"What?" I asked, "Oh yeah, just saw something. One second" I turned and called out to Thunder. He turned, but didn't say anything. "I know where Cinder and Rain are. I just saw it"

He quickly strode towards me, "That's good to hear. Where are they?"

"Cinder is on top of the library, Rain is inside, on the third floor"

He nodded, "Good to hear that thing still works. Did you see anything else?"

After a brief hesitation I shook my head, "No, nothing" I replied. I had seen more, but I'd also seen what would happen if I said anything.

"Okay," he replied hesitantly, "I'll get you guys out right away. Are you feeling alright?"

I nodded, "I could go for some proper clothes, preferably ones from my own closet"

"Get to it then. You know where your room is" He said.

"Will do" I replied, turning to leave. I was going to my room.

"Gazini!" Someone called.

I turned with a heavy sigh. It was Azure.

"I'm so, so sorry, Gazini." She said, "I don't know what came over me, I-"

"Don't sweat it." I said, "I'm fine now. And your team isn't around anymore; I can't imagine what your head's doing with that information"

She nodded, "Thank you," she said, then reached out to shake my hand, "I guess this could be goodbye"

"It very well could be." I replied, a slight smile curving one side of my lips. I reached out and shook her hand. "But let's hope not. Good luck"

"Good luck to you, too" She said.

I pat her head, "You're a good kid. Don't die"

"I'll do my best" She replied, smiling a little.

I sniffed in a large breath, "Alright" I said simply, then turned and left to get proper clothing on.

In my room I pulled out my suitcase and some clothing. It was basically the same thing that I usually wore: heavy brown coat, yellow button-up, blue jeans. I found Arkynshihn in its sheath, along with all the arrows in the quiver resting on my bed. Instead of strapping it to my belt I sat down next to it, thinking, running through each scenario in my mind. Finding the best option.

There was simply no way it could work.

* * *

**So there you have it. Stuff's continuing to go down, or at least it's heating up. **

**Also, RWBY volume 4, fingers crossed it doesn't suck, or if you ask me it isn't like volume 3. But we'll see. We have about another week to wait. Gotta say, regardless of the past I'm kind of looking forward to it. I've moved on from all the changes and I'm hoping it doesn't let me down again. **

**Anyways, as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	97. Pink II Chapter 9

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Alright, now it really picks up, so why don't we get right into it eh?**

* * *

I'd just received word that Gazini had, using his all-seeing eye, located Cinder atop the library. It'd be an interesting place for a fight, but it had to be done. Unless we could get her on the ground somehow.

"You guys ready?" I asked my temporary teammates, Barnabas and Roy.

"Ready as I'll ever be" Barnabas replied.

"I guess I could say the same" Roy replied.

"Good to hear" I said.

"Are you?" Barnabas asked.

"I sure as hell hope so" I replied.

Thunder led us to a hidden room. Inside were multiple helicopters with two propellers each, all lined up perfectly, glistening with polish. A loaded machine gun was positioned on either side of the open interior of each vehicle.

"Roy, you can fly right?" Thunder asked.

He nodded.

"Alright, I'll fly Pyrrha and Gazini. Roy, you fly Nicole and Barnabas. Follow me to the library. Try not to shoot the guns if you don't have to, we want the element of surprise if we can get it. Roy, since you're flying I don't expect you to land it, so just set it to auto-pilot and jump out when you reach the roof. Can you manage that?"

"Of course" He replied.

"That's good to hear." He turned to Gazini and Pyrrha, "I'll drop you two off at the door, then join the fight. Alright?"

"Sounds like a plan" Pyrrha replied. She was the only one who said anything.

"Alright," he said, "like they say in the movies, let's kick some ass!"

We all smiled a little at his motivational speech, then each boarded our own helicopters. I held onto a gun so as not to fall, my back to Barnabas. As we lifted into the air the ceiling opened, revealing the sky. Fire had already begun to rain down yet again.

"Looks like we're fighting them at full force" I called to Barnabas.

"Looks like it" he replied.

As we flew so did the bullets of the warring Heishi below. I could hear them bounce off the metal coat of the copters, flying right past me into the heavens above. It was rather terrifying, and ultimately I decided to stay back, away from the opening.

"You okay?" Barnabas yelled back at me.

"So far," I replied, "You?"

"Holding up" He called.

We neared the library shockingly, but thankfully, quickly.

"I'm setting it to auto-pilot, get ready to jump" Roy announced over a microphone. Where it was, I didn't exactly know.

I leaned out, staring at the ground below. We were almost above the library. My heart pounded in my chest as I anticipated the coming fight. I clutched the handles of each of my suitcases between my fingers, hoping against hope that none of us would get seriously hurt, or worse, die.

That hope diminished when the helicopter gave a sudden jolt, caught fire, and fell. I saw Roy leap out as it fell, but Barnabas and I were forced out thanks to the sudden movement.

As we fell I focused my aura, protecting myself from the exploding helicopter before me.

I landed, crushing the pavement below me. Barnabas wasn't far. As we stood a crowd of Heishi gathered around us, weapons drawn as they prepared to fight.

"What now?" Barnabas asked.

"We don't have much of a choice, do we?" I replied, knowing that he'd understand. Clearly he did, because in the next moment we collided, without another word, with the surrounding clones.

Bullets flew; blood spilled from carcasses and stained every substance it touched. The air was filled with sparks and the sounds of metallic blade collisions.

I sliced through a Heishi's head, then fired a bullet through the lance blade into another incoming solider. In mere seconds I was drained, and yet I had no choice. I had to keep going.

Every now and then I caught a glimpse of Barnabas. He'd encountered the man who'd invaded the arena, the one he'd shot in the leg. I saw it now; the man's gun had two barrels, one that shot bullets, the other in which a slender blade extended from. The body of the gun was long and thick, with padding underneath it so it could be held comfortably in one hand like a sword. Barnabas seemed to hold his own against the man, although he was covered in more blood than his opponent. Who's blood though, who could say?

Through the crowd of angry warriors and my bloodied vision one other familiar face did appear. Rocco Trask. Or at least a clone of him. He walked slowly, and the group parted just for him, lowering each of their weapons. We stood face-to-face, mere meters apart. A smile curved his lips as four long blades stretched out from a ring wrapping around his robotic wrist.

Then he charged. I gripped my weapon tightly and did the same. My heavy sword smashed into his much smaller, thinner, but apparently just as sturdy, wrist blades.

"It's so nice to see you again" He said.

I didn't respond, I was already out of breath.

"The circumstances couldn't be better, could they?" He added.

I spun, moving aside as I did so. With my blade still locked against his own, I tried to, as quickly as I could, spin my weapon so that when the heavy sword's contact with his stopped, the lance at the other end would cut his back. But all for naught, as the lance blade merely bounced off his back. As it did so I remembered his armadillo shell. An attack to the back would be futile. For all I knew, an attack anywhere was just that.

We locked eyes for a moment as he regained his posture, and then all hell broke loose. The Heishi converged on me at the same time Rocco did. I spun my weapon all around me, ripping the tops of many soldier's heads off, firing too many bullets to count through their skulls.

Eventually as my arms grew tired and my need to focus on Rocco on his own intensified, I balanced Candace and Sherry on my upper back, leaned forward slightly, and spun it. In the same motion, I drew Tina the revolver from my back and fired several shots off in Rocco's direction. The randomized dust rounds threw him off, and along with the newly formed clearing around us I was finally able to fight him one-on-one again.

Two of the blades on his wrist had broken. He looked at them in disgust, then swung at me with the remainder of them. Candace and Sherry fell behind me, leaving Tina as the only weapon in my hand. I raised it, blocking his attack with the blade attached under the barrel. My feet skidded backwards into the dirt, but I pushed back as soon as I had good footing again.

His face was contorted into that of focused anger, with lips pursed together with so much force I wondered if his mouth would suddenly start bleeding. For the first time in a while, I was genuinely afraid for my own life.

I was losing energy, and soon he was overpowering me. I fell to one knee, barely able to keep my arms raised high enough to hold off his attack.

In a desperate last resort I stared deeply into his eyes. He returned the favor. With the last of my aura, I activated my semblance. Charm, as I liked to call it. My arms lowered quite suddenly with the large loss of power, but then I saw it. His face softened, his attack let up.

"Stand." I said kindly. "Step back"

He did just that, backing away from me and lowering his weapon.

I stood, never breaking eye contact. I aimed Tina right at his forehead, resting the blade against his nose. "Drop your aura" I said.

I could sense his sudden shift from all-out aura to none. In the last second, I shut my eyes, breaking contact. In that same moment I pulled the trigger, blowing a bloody hole through his now conscious and in control mind. A thick drop of blood drizzled down his face as he fell to his knees, then face first into the blood-stained dirt.

I let out a deep sigh of relief, out of breath entirely. Without a thought I fell to my knees and dropped Tina, too exhausted to even hold a gun.

The sounds of battle around me were quieting. I turned my head to see Barnabas still fighting the man with the sword-gun. His opponent was slowing and appeared to be more scarred than Barnabas now. I watched as he finished the fight, firing a shotgun shell into both the man's knees, then his gut, and topped it all off with an axe blade through his skull. He placed his foot against the now dead man's shoulder and pulled, yanking the axe with some difficulty from his head.

He stood, panting before the crumpled corpse of a man. He said something I didn't catch, then turned his gaze to me. He dragged both himself and his axe across the ground to sit down next to me. Both of us were out of breath, exhausted.

"Who was that guy?" I asked between breaths.

"Ike Falcon," He replied, "Rain's new minion"

"Huh." I said, "What did you say just then?"

He paused, "Um," he started, snickering at the thought, "I said, 'I told you to wait'"

I smiled, "Right," I replied, "From the arena"

He nodded, mouth gaped open as he gulped for air.

"Now what're you both sitting around for?" Someone asked. The voice was all too familiar.

I looked up into the eyes of a perfectly healthy Rocco Trask.

* * *

**So there you have it. It's really going down now, I think. I don't really know what ya'll think of that, but it is what it is. **

**Also, new RWBY episode. Pretty decent actually, I'll admit. I was mostly impressed, especially after the disappointment that was the third volume. **

**Anyways, as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	98. Grey II Chapter 7

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Haven't had a Grey chapter in a while, eh? Well here's one now! Enjoy!**

* * *

I'd landed fairly easily on the roof of the library, and quickly spotted Cinder. I'd actually seen her as I leapt. She'd launched a fire blast at the helicopter itself, sending it to the ground. I briefly considered going to help the other two, but decided that my place was here. If I could finish it, I needed to finish it.

"How brave of you," the woman started, walking towards me slowly, seductively. Her voice reflected the same, "To come here all alone"

I reached back and drew ShoGun, ready to fight at any given moment.

"Don't you want to talk?" She asked, "I don't want you to rush anything"

"I'm here to kill you. Plain and simple" I replied.

She sneered, "What about a kiss?" She asked.

"You're wasting your time." I said, "I'm an AI, I have no emotions, no feelings. If you were to kiss me, I wouldn't feel a thing. If you're trying to seduce me, I can't tell. If you want to throw me off that way, good luck. I'm constantly as alert as possible"

"What if I were to torture you?" She asked.

"Good luck getting me in that position" I replied.

She smiled wickedly, pushing her long dark hair behind her ear, "I'm happy to hear it. Everything's much more fun with resistance"

Her twin blades came out, and we began to circle each other. Not once did I allow my focus to shift from anything but her. I studied her eyes, her face, her body language. If she dropped a hint at any movement, I would know.

Suddenly a ball of fire racing towards me penetrated my vision. I saw her charge beneath the brightness of the flame, hoping to hide. I ducked and rolled, passing her legs and swinging my blade as I spun, cutting her back wide open. Blood spilled out as she fell to her knees, enveloped in the flame.

She stood, perfectly fine save for the wound on her back. With a quick flick of her shoulder, she was fighting again.

We clashed blades, back and forth, upwards, downwards, side to side. My limitless energy against her extremely high amount matched each other for quite some time. I activated the vibration of ShoGun eventually, causing the blade to act more like a chainsaw with better cutting power.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" She asked when she first noticed.

Our blades collided, but instead of drawing back, I pressed forward. Her swords chipped, cracked a little. She withdrew them, unwilling to part with her weapons quite yet.

She leapt into the air, pushing off so that she moved towards me. Her dual swords combined to make a bow, and arrows appeared out of nowhere. She fired two at once. I deflected one with my sword, but the other stuck straight into my shoulder. I pulled it out as quickly as I could, making sure I didn't leave the arrowhead inside. It could affect my machinery.

Cinder landed lightly on her fight, watching me curiously.

"So it really is just cogs and gears in there, isn't it?" She asked.

"Duh" I replied as sarcastically as I possibly could, despite the fact that it probably came out monotonous still. I didn't joke often, but I decided to give it a go today.

She frowned, clearly not liking the joke. She fired another arrow, then charged, switching her weapons to swords again. As she neared me she switched again, firing three arrows this time before switching back yet again to blades. Two arrows stuck into my chest, the third into my upper arm. In my moment of reaction to the new piercing she swung her blades, slicing through my clothing and sending me skidding across the stone roof.

I stood slowly, pulling the arrows out as I did.

"You're not so tough, are you?" She asked, strolling casually towards me.

Suddenly she stumbled forward, an explosion of dust emitting from her back. I looked past her, seeing none other than Ruby Rose standing on the other side of the roof, sniper rifle pointed right at the fiery woman.

"I got your back Roy!" She called, her voice so high it would have hurt any human's ears.

Cinder charged immediately, weapons drawn. Ruby reacted with surprise, but caught herself quickly enough to transform her weapon into a scythe and block Cinder's attack. The air was ripped apart by the sound of their collision. I could tell that Cinder was unhappy at the uneven odds and sought to rid the rooftop of this girl as quickly as possible.

I stood and switched my weapon to plasma gun state, ignoring the arrows sticking out of me. I took aim and hit the trigger as many times as I could. Blasts of blue plasma shot out, almost like a machine gun.

Most every shot hit her square in the back. She fell forwards. Her aura had prevented her from exploding, but it was scraped, bruised, and bloody in several places. She hadn't saved herself from all of the knockback either, and thus Ruby was able to strike. She swung her scythe, wrapping the blade around the woman's back and pinning her against the roof.

I made my way over, ripping the arrows from my body as I did so, then aiming the tip of my gun directly at her head.

"Why're you doing this?" I demanded. I hadn't the slightest idea what her motive could be, and I knew that I, among others, was wondering the same thing.

"You think I'll tell you anything?" She spat, face pressed into the grey stone.

"In your position I'd recommend you do so" I replied.

She smiled, sliding her hand over as close to me as she could and spreading her fingers. "I wouldn't recommend making such demands in your position" She retorted, a crazed smile playing across her lips.

As quickly as I could react, I switched my gun into sword mode and stabbed downwards, into her hand. As I did so a geyser of fire shot upwards, hitting me hard in the face and throwing me spinning back through the air before landing hard on the roof.

"Roy!" Ruby called.

Cinder took that sudden moment of weakness and freed herself, throwing the small girl backwards.

I struggled to stand, realizing that I could barely see. I reached up, patting my face. The entire left side was gone, blown into oblivion.

Cinder was approaching a scared Ruby. She raised one dark blade above her head and swung. Instinctively Ruby raised her right arm to block the attack, dazed by what I assumed was the sight of me. I guess she didn't know what I was until now.

Her arm stopped the blade, but only once it had cut through half of it. Blood spilled out, almost relentlessly. She screamed in agony.

I stood, ignoring my lack of vision and charging. She swung again as Ruby cried, severing the arm altogether.

I leapt forward, swinging my blade wildly. I cut deep into her lower back, staining my own blade crimson. I bent down, pressing my hand against the ground as I turned and skidded to a halt, charging again towards Cinder. I activated the vibrating blade of ShoGun and threw it at her, running past her at the same time. The blade stabbed through her gut, throwing blood from her back at my face. I reached out and clapped my palms on either side of the shaking blade within her, and pulled, dragging the blade straight through her body, hilt and all.

Now she was the one screaming in pain and bleeding profusely. She fell to her knees, blood gushing from her gut. She pressed her hands against the wounds, hoping to slow the bleeding while she focused her ever leaking aura.

I went to Ruby and got her back up on her feet. "Are you okay?" I asked, then saw her arm stub, still raised in the same position it'd been, "Stupid question, come over here. Away from the edge" I guided her to the other side of Cinder, then when she'd sat down, went to the dying fiery woman with my blade ready to cut her head off.

In that same moment she turned, eyes ablaze, palms erupting with flames. She fired a massive wave of flame straight towards me, stretching as long as the rooftop itself, and almost as high as the library was wide.

And in that same moment I made a choice. I threw ShoGun aside, clear off the rooftop, and went to Ruby, demanding that she stand. She didn't quite process it, so I lifted her and turned around, facing the fire head-on. I spread my arms and legs, embracing the flame in its entirety. My clothes went first, leaving me buck-naked before the small girl behind me. I doubt she noticed, though. I felt my insides heat up to insurmountable levels. My gears and cogs spun infinitely quicker than ever before, trying to both cool my body and keep it protected. But to no avail. My artificial skin melted away, and my hair was singed off my scalp. As my brain fried inside my metallic skull one thought remained: I wasn't a living being. There wasn't a single reason to allow this living girl to die when there was nothing in me to begin with.

I turned around, seeing Ruby staring at me with the most sorrowful of eyes I'd ever seen. Tears drizzled down the cheeks of this girl I barely knew. I smiled, or at least did what I could with what remained of my face.

Then, as I released the last of my energy into keeping my body materialized, I let out a ferocious battle cry. All I could see was white tinged with orange flame. I could see the eruption beginning to die, but by that point I was already gone.

In that moment, everything went dark, and I ceased to exist.


	99. Azure II Chapter 9

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Last chapter wasn't what you expected, eh? Or was it? I don't know, but enjoy this one (if you can)!**

* * *

I was becoming overwhelmed, even with the group of hunters behind me, the Heishi proved to be too much. There were far too many. And still, I managed to push through, putting holes in the clone's heads, stabbing through their hearts, doing everything as quickly as I possibly could. If I could act quicker than them, I could take them out easier. They were always a little slow to start.

I fought alongside Cerberus and the remainder of team VAIN. Cerberus held his own pretty well, as expected, but the rest of us were growing more and more tired by the minute.

A group of civilians huddled behind us as we fought our way to clear a path through the Heishi to a safe house. Every now and then I glanced back, grasping at even the tiniest amount of motivation I got from seeing their terrified, yet slightly hopeful, faces.

I stabbed Cratorus 2.0 through the last soldier's neck, then waited to catch my breath. Finally, we could move forward.

"Let's keep going!" Veil called, starting to walk, too tired to run. The civilians followed cautiously, making their way between the piles of bodies littering the ground.

We reached the safe house. The door rose up from the ground and everyone was loaded inside. As we did the firestorm gave way to heavy rain. I smiled, realizing that Cinder must have been taken out.

Everyone else seemed to realize it as well. Veil smiled at the sky, and I could see a surge of motivated adrenaline suddenly burst inside her. Anchor, on the other hand, just kind of stood there with Cerberus, straight-faced. Anchor at least had an excuse with the gas mask covering his mouth, though.

Suddenly there was a loud crumbling sound. Our joy faded as we focused our attention in the direction of the sound. Slowly a massive shape appeared.

An Ursa.

Its lumbering black body was slowly made clearer through the rain pouring down around us. I took a step back, realizing that the walls must have been broken down, meaning that more Grimm would be here any minute. In fact, they were probably already on their way.

No one said a word; we knew what we had to do. We knew what would happen next, why it'd happened, all that.

The safe house door lowered back into the ground once all the civilians had entered, leaving us with the Ursa. By now the Beowulves and Void Runners (horse Grimm) were starting to show themselves as well.

After a moment of hesitation we charged, the Ursa heading straight for me. For obvious reasons, I went straight for it. I wanted redemption for what'd happened years ago, even though I knew this couldn't be the same Grimm.

I leapt into the air, plunging Cratorus 2.0 into the base of the creature's neck. I transformed the spear into a rifle and fired off as many rounds as a magazine would allow into its brain. It fell to the ground, bright red rose petals blowing away from the inside of its empty cranium.

As I landed back on the ground, I looked around to see everyone else fighting off various creatures of Grimm. Anchor swung his massive anchor around on its chain, cracking the skeletal armor of every creature he faced and destroying their brains. Veil stabbed and poked, puncturing most every Grimm wherever she could.

After my brief moment of hesitation to watch everyone else, I returned to the fight, cutting down as many Grimm as I could with noticeably less effort than I needed for the Heishi. The Grimm were pretty mindless creatures, lacking in any substantial fighting ability, especially with as many experienced hunters as we had.

However, despite all our experience the sheer amount of Grimm swarming in became overwhelming. Each of us found ourselves completely surrounded, drowning in the number of creatures in the area.

Naturally, the AOD appeared, ready to fight. They cut down Grimm after Grimm, clearing a path straight through. They fought harder than we could, and with much more strategy.

No one spoke. Thank you's could wait until the battle had ended, and by the looks of it that wouldn't be any time soon.

I heard the sharp sound of scraping metal, and when I looked to the source I found two massive Ursa trying to pry the door to the safe house in the ground open. The metal curved upwards as they bent it backwards. I charged, hoping to get to them before they got the civilians. As I ran a Beowulf leapt into me, jaws gaped wide. I fell to the ground, its teeth stuck into my shoulder. I scrambled to get it off, unable to adjust my other arm well enough to stab it. It was pushing my side into the ground, so my other arm was almost impossible to move.

_This won't happen again_, I promised myself, winding up my leg and kicking it in the gut. It launched into the air, landing with a whimper.

I stood, focusing my aura on my shoulder as I approached the Beowulf, now lying not far from my own position. I stabbed it through the cheek, puncturing the brain and killing it.

Upon killing the creature my gaze returned to the Ursas. They'd peeled the door back even further, and I could hear the people inside screaming. In fact I could hear everything. My fox ears perked up. I heard the rain hit the ground, the subtle cries and grunts of the hunters around me, the sound of blades passing through monsters. Everything. I even heard when the King Taijito several feet away from me spotted and started towards me.

I glanced over as I heard its body slither in my direction. Then I ran, hoping it'd find a new opponent while I handled the Ursas.

It didn't seem too keen on that idea.

I reached the Ursas, knowing the massive snake to be close by now. Still, I needed to focus on the bears.

The Ursas had opened the safe house and started pulling people out. I transformed my spear into a sniper rifle and aimed as I ran, firing off a shot straight through the first Ursa's neck. It dropped the person and turned to me, not quite dead. It charged while the other kept hunting.

Cratorus 2.0 returned to its spear state as I ran forward, bringing it back behind my head and getting ready to jab.

Suddenly the King Taijitu was right behind me. Using its head, it swatted me away in another direction. I flew to the left, dropping my spear along the way.

The two Grimm faced me down as I tried to stand. The Ursa stabbed its claws into my left leg, succeeding in puncturing my leather boot-leggings. It raked its claws across my leg, ripping the boot off and revealing my robotic leg. It was unable to penetrate its metal coat.

I backed up and stood, raising my fists as I readied to defend myself from the creatures. I couldn't fight them off without my spear, and started searching while still maintaining enough focus on the Grimm. Unfortunately, I didn't find it before the King Taijitu made a move.

Somehow I was able to anticipate it and ducked, then performed an uppercut punch into its throat. It coughed, swayed, and withdrew. The Ursa charged immediately after, and yet I heard its footsteps crossing the ground between us long before it reached me.

I brought up my knee, hitting it hard in the gut with my metallic kneecap. It stumbled backwards, and in both the Grimm's absence of movement I continued searching for my weapon.

When I finally found it, close to the second Ursa, both Grimm were recovered and ready to keep fighting.

I leapt forward, transforming my landing into a roll. I stood up right before the second Ursa as it devoured a person. Its glowing red gaze fell on me. The growl rumbling in its throat echoed in my ears. Quickly I reached down, grabbing my weapon and rolling to the side.

Once I'd recovered my battle stance I was facing off against three massive Grimm.

As I readied to fight a brown-haired man appeared in the air and slammed a silver pole into the head of the first Ursa. An explosion erupted from its end, blowing a hole in the creature's skull and sending it falling flat down into the dirt.

The man landed just in front of me, gave me a look of acknowledgement, then turned around and took up a battle stance.


	100. Green II Chapter 7

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Here we are, chapter 100! Can you believe it?**

**On another note, here's another chapter. Might be interesting for some of you. Enjoy!**

* * *

There had been a huge burst of flame on the rooftop of the library after Ruby had climbed up, so I decided to follow her and make sure everything was okay.

The firestorm cleared shortly after, giving way too heavy rain. I couldn't see too far ahead of me through the dense water, maybe a few feet or so.

I picked my way through piles of Heishi bodies, glad that I didn't see anyone that didn't look identical among the dead.

I scaled the library wall, reaching the top with my weapon drawn. I scanned the rooftop, seeing Cinder's bloody body on one side. She was on her knees, but her head drooped down and her shoulders slumped. One might think she just looked exhausted, but the ever increasing pool of blood forming around her said otherwise. That, and the gaping hole in her gut. She was definitely dead.

On the other side I saw Ruby, laying on the ground and crying softly.

"Ruby!" I called, running to her. She glanced up, then went back to crying. "What is it? What happened?"

Between sobs she explained it to me, "Roy died to save me" She replied.

Now I felt like crying. "What?" I asked.

"I tried to help him," she started, "but she almost killed me, and he got in the way"

I fell to my knees and stared down at the ground. We lost one, Roy. _Why did it have to be Roy?_ I wondered.

Oddly enough, I didn't cry. I held it together. Instead I found myself understanding Roy. He knew he was an android, and he knew Ruby was a human, so he decided it was worth it to sacrifice himself. That's what I figured anyway, and decided that it wasn't worth crying over. He wouldn't want that.

I placed my hand on her shoulder and leaned forward. "It'll be okay" I said, knowing that it wasn't entirely true, but regardless confident that we'd win this fight.

She finally started to stop crying. She looked at me with sad eyes reddened from the tears, then nodded.

"Can you help me up?" She asked.

"Of course" I replied, reaching under her and wrapping my hand around her side to lift her into a upright position. It was at this point that I noticed the pool of blood surrounding her.

"Ruby, are you injured?" I asked, realizing it as soon as I'd said it. Her right forearm had been cut off, but it was mostly healed by now.

"Oh, yeah," she replied, sniffing, "just a dumb mistake. Don't worry, I barely feel it"

"But, your arm…" I trailed off, not sure how to finish that statement.

"At least I'm still alive." She pointed out, "Better this than that"

I was surprised. A moment ago she'd been bawling her eyes out, and the next she was accepting this horrible reality. She'd be able to replace it mechanically, yes, but robotic limbs were expensive and not as reliable as a real arm.

"We should get you back to the base for medical help" I said.

"I'm fine, Grizzly. Don't worry" She said.

"No," I retorted, "you can't fight like that regardless. You only have one arm, and you've lost a lot of blood. I'll get you back"

"Fair enough" She replied, standing and sheathing her scythe on the small of her back.

"Can you walk okay?" I asked.

"Yes" she replied, standing. After a moment of wobbling, she straightened.

"Alright, let's go" I said, leaping off the rooftop. She followed close behind, and together we made our way through the city.

Most every Heishi was dead at this point.

"You've been busy" Ruby remarked as we ran, observing the dead bodies.

"Yeah well, I had help" I said simply.

As expected, we wouldn't reach the base without opposition. This, however, came in the form of Rocco Trask. It was a clone of him, or so I assumed.

"Say, I recognize you." He said, smiling at me, "I fought you in the dark, remember? In my old base, when-"

I cut him off, "I remember. You don't need to remind me, mom"

"Snarky." he remarked. Four thin blades stretched out from his wrist as he took up a battle stance. "What do you say? Rematch? Let's see if you're any better"

I knew I couldn't beat him, but I had no choice now.

"You should go, Ruby." I said, "Now"

"I know you can't beat this guy," she replied, "I'm staying. Besides, what if I run into another along the way?"

"You'll get in the way." I persisted, "He can use you against me"

"Or you can use me against him"

"This isn't an argument," I retorted firmly, "I'm telling you to run. Run and hope that you don't find anyone along the way"

She seemed surprised by my response, but still left, however reluctantly.

"That's no way to treat your lady" Rocco said.

I didn't respond, instead I took up a battle stance.

He smirked, then charged. I sidestepped, swinging Barbed Gustav in a wide, low, two-handed swipe. I hit his ankles, causing him to trip. I leapt onto his back, stabbing the back of his neck and twisting the blade back and forth, hoping to kill him quickly.

He rolled over, crushing me under his weight and standing. His aura regenerated his neck as he turned around, facing me on the ground.

"Is that you best you got?" He asked. I hated that he liked to talk so much during a fight.

Slowly I stood, readying to fight again. I wasn't at my best thanks to the earlier fighting, and even at my best I couldn't kill this guy. But I had to at least hold him off.

I activated my semblance, pinning my attention entirely on him. Yellow flames licked at my eyes and blew away in glowing wisps.

I charged, blade swinging. We exchanged blow after blow, the sound of steel on steel echoing through the air. As we fought I felt my focus dwindling as my aura drained. I wasn't going to win this fight, not a chance.

He sliced open my cheek, drawing blood. It stung, and in my brief moment of weakness he punched me across the face with his blades. I fell to the ground with bloody holes cut into my face. I think one had punctured my eye, because I couldn't see as well anymore.

I stayed where I was, my body too exhausted to move, no matter how much I tried. This was it. I was going to watch him kill me now. Or at least, watch until I actually died. Suddenly my mind swam with that thought. Would I be able to watch him kill me, or would I just die? It was an interesting concept that I'd never heard of anyone thinking about.

As the thought passed I realized that he was very close now. I shut my eye, deciding that I didn't want to find out if I could see myself die.

"Remember when I killed you?" I heard a familiar voice. I opened my eye and saw a less familiar figure. He was dressed in black and yellow striped armor, with the same colored and patterned hood over his head.

Rocco's feet shuffled until he faced the man. "Who're you?" He asked.

The man lifted his hood, revealing his face. It was Lleu Thunder.

Rocco paused, "No, I don't believe I do. Please remind me"

"That's the plan" Thunder said, hefting the assault rifle in his hand onto his shoulder.

"Scratch that" Rocco said. I couldn't see his face, but I assumed that he was smiling.

Thunder gripped his gun in both hands and aimed right at Rocco. He squeezed the trigger, loosing multiple bullets, most every one bouncing off his opponent's aura.

When the gun clicked to signal the clip's emptiness Rocco shrugged, "Ya done?" He asked.

The empty magazine dropped from the gun onto the ground. He gripped the stock and rested it on his shoulder. The stock folded outwards, extending the length of the gun. Pieces of steel rolled out from the bottom of the barrel, each piece loosely connected. They formed a long, slender blade at the tip of the barrel. The blade curved downwards slightly. I saw now that it was a scythe.

"Nope" He replied, charging suddenly. He moved in a ferocious way, his broad shoulders swaying back and forth as he ran. It was terrifying to witness and made him look just that much broader.

Rocco raised his armadillo hand, blocking the staff of the scythe as it collided. The blade, however, pierced straight through the man's neck. Blood drizzled down, soaking into his clothing.

Thunder yanked his scythe forward, ripping Rocco's neck clean open at the front. Blood flew out, splattering across the ground. He coughed, choked, and, unable to breathe, died, falling to his knees.

Thunder watched Rocco for a moment, then looked to me. I blinked slowly, shocked but unable to show it on my face.

The military commander picked me up with his free arm and put my over his shoulder. "Ruby said you'd need my help." He said, turning and walking in the direction of the base. "Looks like you both need it"


	101. Crimson II Chapter 18

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**This is a pretty big chapter so we're going to get right into it. Enjoy!**

* * *

Upon exiting the helicopter Pyrrha and I started into the library. I briefly glanced up to see the second helicopter following closely behind. Roy leapt out of the pilot's cockpit, then suddenly the vehicle burst into flame and spiraled downwards.

I caught Pyrrha's arm as she started towards it, "Leave them," I said, "They'll be fine" She looked at me with a worried gaze. "We have a job to do." I added, "And so do they. Let them handle themselves and we'll do the same"

She nodded, then followed me into the library.

We walked in relatively slowly. I could tell Pyrrha was anxious, but I wasn't. I knew he wasn't on the first floor.

I ran over all the possible outcomes in my head, knowing what would happen in each one, hoping to see something better. But I only found one that was a sure victory, so I decided we had to go for it.

"He's on the third floor" I said, recognizing the setting in my visions. I had gone to the library fairly frequently during my years at the academy, so I was able to recognize this. Plus I recalled us going up the elevator to level three and him being there.

Pyrrha nodded, "Have you seen anything else?" She asked.

I hesitated, "Keep your head" I replied simply. I didn't want to say anything that could further endanger the mission's outcome, so I kept it at that.

We took the elevator to the third floor, and sure enough there stood Rain Fall. He was at the opposite end of the room, gazing out the massive glass window covering the wall. He turned around upon hearing our approach.

I noticed a large object lying on the floor beside him. I assumed it was his weapon, but couldn't quite make out its shape from where I was.

He spread his arms apart, "Welcome." He said, "Are you enjoying the show?"

"I already know what you have to say, Rain" I said.

He cocked his head to the right, then smiled, "Oh yes, you do." He said, "But let me ask you this, what if you die in this fight? No one will ever know what I would have said"

I didn't reply, for fear of revealing the future and affecting it.

"Well, ask me what my plans are. Go on" He said.

"I really don't care" I said.

He frowned, "Well, you're confident." He said, "I guess we'll just get right in to it"

I drew Arkynshihn from my sheath and took up a battle stance. Pyrrha did the same with her spear and shield.

Rain lifted the heavy object off the floor, holding it with two hands. I saw now what it was: a massive, thick silver sword with blue indents lining the blade. A part of the back of the blade was cut out to make room for the spinning barrels of a gatling gun. One of Rain's hands was on the sword's long handle, and the other held onto a sideways handle attached to the gun part of it.

He opened fire, launching several bullets our way. I ducked to the side, hiding behind the closest computer desk. Pyrrha did the same.

The computers were torn apart as each bullet ripped through them, and soon the desk was disappearing entirely. We'd have to act soon.

Pyrrha did first. She stood, rifle resting on the top of her shield, which she'd positioned to protect her body. She aimed quickly, then fired off multiple rounds. I followed suit, switching my sword to bow and pinning my sights on him. I loosed one arrow, spiking his shoulder good and hard.

His body rippled, shaking and readjusting his gun. He shot into the wall, blowing a crater into it. The building wasn't entirely bullet-proof it seemed.

I charged forward, preparing another arrow. He turned his gaze back on us, tearing the shaft from his body.

Another arrow flew, this one skimming his neck and drawing some blood before piercing the glass behind him.

Before he could start shooting again Pyrrha fired off several shots, disorientating him enough for me to transform Arkynshihn back into a sword and take a swing at him. His sword reared up, blocking the attack. I didn't know how, but he moved that sword fairly quickly.

Pyrrha went in for an attack, stabbing forward. He reached out with one hand and caught the blade between his fingers. And still, he held onto his weapon with one hand.

He threw Pyrrha aside, then, using both hands, pushed me back with his sword. I took a second to recover; building up the energy to swing what I thought was a massive sword. He swung at the same time, deflecting my attack. In the same move he swung to the other side, smashing into Pyrrha's side and sending her flying across the room. She slammed into the wall and hit the ground, not moving.

As quickly as I could I switched my sword into a bow and loosed an arrow. It stabbed into his eyeball and he screamed in pain. I drew another arrow, slid it onto the bowstring, then switched back to sword mode.

He ripped the arrow from his eye, still alive. Most of his aura was focused on the firestorm outside, but he had enough of it left to put in to protecting his physical body.

I heaved my sword above me, swinging downwards. His blade came up, but he wasn't able to react quick enough to completely block the attack. His sword dipped in his hand until it pointed into the ground and my blade scraped across his weapon's surface. I wasn't expecting his lack of strength and was unable to lift Arkynshihn in time to make another attack, so I swung my fist, punching him square in the nose. His head flung backwards sharply, and as he recovered he swung his head back, slamming his forehead into mine. I stumbled backwards, disorientated.

As I gripped my sword in two hands I saw him charge, a gaping hole in his face where I'd shot him. His massive blade was raised past his waist, like it was an average sized sword. He brought it down hard on me. I barely raised my sword in time to block it. He pushed down hard, and my arms were giving way. My whole body shook with the effort as his blade touched the tip of my nose.

He kicked out a foot backwards, narrowly missing Pyrrha as she charged behind him. She leapt into the air, throwing her shield into the back of his head. He staggered forward, pushing his sword closer to me. I slid underneath him as he fell, avoiding his blade altogether.

The shield bounced back into Pyrrha's hand as she landed. We both faced him as he stood, shaking with the effort. He was truly drained from the storm.

Then, all of a sudden the firestorm stopped.

The noise outside subsided, replaced by the heavy beating of rain against the glass window.

Rain's face showed complete and utter shock as he watched the rain fall. Pyrrha and I turned around to watch, fighting to hide our joy that Cinder had been taken out.

As we turned back we saw Rain's face. He wasn't happy. The hole in his eye closed, and some kind of energy radiated from his body. His aura was no longer being used for the firestorm, or at least a reduced amount of it was. The rain still fell heavily, but we didn't know the specifics of his semblance so anything was possible.

His gun loosed a flurry of bullets as he charged, sword pointed right at us. I raised Arkynshihn and held it flat against the side of my body. Pyrrha did the same, and as he tried to stab us the sword simply hit the side of the blade and slid along until he ran right between us.

We spun around as he did, swinging his blade with him. It went straight for Pyrrha's side. Instinctively I ran for it, holding my own blade in front of me and blocking the attack. It slammed into me, throwing me back into Pyrrha, who also fell.

I jumped to my feet, sword raised and ready to continue to fight. He swung, I deflected. I swung, he deflected. We paused for a moment, trying to decide what to do next. I was almost exhausted, but it seemed like Rain could go on a while longer.

He swung again, I ducked. He swung downwards, I dodged. He stabbed forward; I sidestepped, avoiding the attack entirely.

Still, I both heard and felt the blade make its mark. But it wasn't in me.

I turned, horrified. Pyrrha had been impaled on the end of his sword.

Blood leaked out from where the sword met her skin, making a trail along her waist, dripping down to her legs. Her eyes were wide, her mouth wider. She said no words, but stood completely still, unable to move.

"Pyrrha!" I screamed. I wasn't in control of myself in that moment.

Rain withdrew the blade quickly, a trail of blood forming in midair for a second. He went in for a second stab, again at me. I tried to swing my blade, but he caught it before I could complete the attack. His blade rubbed along my sword, and instinctively I transformed it, found the arrow inside on the bowstring already, and let it loose. It stabbed into his neck, sending him staggering backwards.

I ran to Pyrrha, already on the floor, mostly dead.

"Pyrrha," I said, feeling the tears coming to my eyes, "Pyrrha, hold on"

"So you can cry." She whispered, "At least I got to see it again"

"You can hold on, Pyrrha" I continued, ignoring her. I wasn't planning on letting her die any time soon, but there was nothing I could do but encourage her.

"This doesn't suit you Gazini," She said. I could tell she was about to say something else, but didn't. Instead she died.

I held her head for a moment longer, allowing the tears some time to subside. They were quickly replaced by anger, the same anger I'd felt the day Harrison died.

I stood, fuming. Rain had recovered and faced me with an agitated face. "I'll kill you!" He cried.

I felt my aura surging through my body, ever increasing suddenly.

"First you killed my disabled brother," I started, my voice turning hoarse with anger. My aura entered my clothing, activating the dust embedded into it. My coat began to fade away, along with my pants.

Rain smiled, but when he saw my clothing started to back up, shock plain across his face.

"And now, you have the audacity to kill my sister!" I almost yelled the line, feeling my aura overtake my entire body. My clothing exploded into light, along with my hair and Arkynshihn.

"What?" He asked, to shocked to say anything else.

I took a step towards him. "I've seen her die a thousand times," I started, having already planned this line out for when it happened, "but it never gets any easier."

* * *

The golden color enveloping me cleared, revealing the attire from my youth in the academy. I wore a pale grey hoodie with the sleeves ripped off and jean shorts. I wore sandals over my feet, and my ankles were wrapped in white bandage, as were my wrists. I didn't know why, I guess I thought they looked cool at the time, despite exposing my scrawny limbs. It wasn't really, but it gave me good mobility.

My hair hadn't shortened to its original length, but the dye had lifted to reveal the golden color underneath.

To top it off, Arkynshihn had been replaced by my original weapon, Risang. It was a long naginata with a curved point at the bottom and a single-edged blade at the top. I held it in my right hand, close to my waist.

My body radiated with golden energy, with the occasional surge of electrical energy here and there. Risang was embedded with lightning dust, and with my aura increase it was having trouble being contained.

Rain stared at me in complete and utter surprise, then burst out laughing, as many had on the first day of school.

"Are you serious?" He asked, "What is this, a shounen anime? Is this your final form? Or isn't it?" He couldn't stop himself from laughing, "Seriously, what happened?"

"I dressed like this in Beacon." I replied, "It's a last resort, and allows for increased mobility. Plus a weapon that I'm much more proficient with"

He nodded, mouth hanging open with a smile as he tried not to laugh, "What the hell? You're an idiot, you know that?"

"I want to tell you something Rain," I started, "I hoped to save her from her future, so I didn't say anything." I took a step forward, "But because of you I can lay it all out. So let's just cut to the chase, I could kill you at any moment, whenever I wanted. There isn't a chance for you anymore in this fight"

He frowned, "We'll see about that." He replied. "Now I know, that could change things"

I shook my head, "I've gone over it all in my head. Every outcome ends with you in varying amounts of pain before your death"

"What about surrender?" He asked, appearing to be slightly joking.

"You don't deserve it." I replied, "Regardless, if I arrested you now you would be assassinated along the way. Face it, it's hopeless"

He frowned, gritting his teeth behind his lips. "Well, then I'll make it as difficult for you to win as possible!" He charged, blade pointed straight at me.

I ducked down as he swung, allowing him just enough space to slice off the back of my hoodie. I watched from below as his face contorted into fear when he saw the symbol tattooed onto my back. It was that of the Tri-Horn, a golden bull with three horns. One stretched out and curved downwards from the left, the other came from the left and split off into two short horns at the end when it curved. It had an X for a mouth and two circles for eyes, a similar pattern to that of Arkynshihn's hilt.

Rain stumbled forward in surprise as I dodged to the side, avoiding his falling body altogether.

"So you see, Rain," I said, straightening and ripping the torn hoodie off my torso, "Even without my all-seeing eye, you can see that your chances are slim"

He stood as quickly as he could, looking at me with both frustration and rage, and a hint of fear. He seemed unwilling to believe it. "If you can kill me whenever you want, then do it! I'm calling you blu-"

I cut him off as I charged forward in a blast of electricity, Risang pressed to his neck.

"See how easy that was?" I asked.

"Then do it," he continued, "kill me, you coward!"

I withdrew Risang then, gripping it in both my hands at the bottom end, readied to swing it like I was about to swing a baseball bat. Then, I did just that.

At the last second he raised his sword and blocked the attack. He smirked, "Looks like you can't kill me whenever" He said.

When I pulled my naginata back we both saw the damage done to his sword. I'd cracked it right where I'd hit it, along with creating a well-sized dent in the side.

"I reduced my power output," I said, "knowing you'd try to block it"

"Oh sure" He mocked.

I tapped my temple, gesturing to my eye. I had seen it coming, and he knew that.

He gripped his sword with both hands, then tried to bring it down on me. I swung Risang upwards with my right hand and stepped forward, cutting the tip of the blade off. Then, in one swift motion switching the weapon from my right to left hand and swung across, cutting his head clean off. The stub didn't bleed thanks to the electricity I'd sent through my naginata at the point of impact. The wound had been sealed, but not before he suffered the pain of both parting with his lifelong partner, whatever his weapon's name was, then parting with his own life as immense pain cut through his skin, followed by the searing pain of my closing the wound with electricity as it was cut. No, it certainly wasn't a good way to die, but it was what I believed he deserved at the time. Maybe a little more, if anything else.

My aura gradually died down as my temper ran out, and suddenly I was exhausted. I collapsed to my knees, unable to stand. Risang clattered to the floor, but I barely heard it. I adjusted my neck, looking around the room. The downpour outside continued, as I could see by the partially broken window. It was full of bullet holes, with a bigger chunk broken out here and there.

My gaze fell on Pyrrha, bleeding out across the floor.


	102. Crimson II Chapter 19

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**Considering last week's chapter, I think it's best we get right into it. Enjoy!**

* * *

With a deep sigh, I stood, attaching Risang to the back of my waist and walking towards her. I heaved her over my shoulder and left through the elevator, then out the front entrance.

The rain felt good against my face as I came outside. I looked up into the sky, feeling the water droplets run down my cheeks.

"Gazini?" I heard someone call. I turned, seeing Petunia covered in blood and more than a couple scars, standing several feet away from me. We held eye contact for a moment, then she started towards me, leaping between the piles of Heishi bodies littering the ground. "Is it really you?" She asked.

"It's me" I replied, taking a deep breath. Even talking was difficult.

When she arrived she wrapped me in as big a hug as she could manage. "I didn't realize how much I didn't miss the old you" She said with a smile.

"Yeah," I replied, "me too"

She looked to my shoulder, her smile fading, "Shit, is that-"

I nodded slowly.

She shivered, "I'm so sorry. Did you see it coming?"

Again, I nodded, ashamed to admit it.

"It was the only way, wasn't it?" She asked.

"The only way that I could see at the time" I replied.

She paused, deciding not to say anything for a bit. "Get in the helicopter," she said, looking to the one parked just a ways from the entrance, "I'll take you back to the base"

I sat down on the helicopter, deciding not to say anything. Regardless of whether or not I wanted to keep fighting, I simply wasn't capable.

We lifted into the air and started towards the base. We landed without much difficulty, Petunia managed to avoid the Nevermores that had suddenly appeared in the sky. I saw Grimm below us, but few Heishi. I was about to ask what happened, but realized that she wouldn't be able to hear me from the cockpit.

As we landed in front of the military base I saw a short figure approaching us through the rain.

Petunia started to lead me to the door of the base, seeing the lights off inside. I wondered if the door was closed.

As the figure drew closer I realized who it was. I'd seen her in one of the tournaments, she'd broken Guenianne's winning streak one year. Livie Sasha was her name. She was covered in blood and slouched when she walked. Her face was wild with something I couldn't quite describe, bloodlust if anything.

Petunia glanced back, seeing me watching her. "Dammit" She muttered, continuing to walk.

"What?" I asked.

"That's one of their minions." She replied, "Livie Sasha. To my knowledge she went against Guenianne Radiance when this first started"

"Seriously?" I asked, looking back at her. She looked dead tired, and I wasn't surprised. If she'd just defeated arguably the strongest huntress of all time, then she definitely looked the part.

Suddenly another figure appeared, this one slightly taller and wielding something long. The two started fighting. I had no idea who the new guy was.

"We need to get inside." Petunia said, pushing her hand against my back to rush me forward. The base doors were locked, although I struggled to understand why. It wouldn't stop anyone in this situation.

Petunia kicked down the door and we took the elevator down to the infirmary. Oddly enough, the doctors were still there.

"Got someone for us?" One of them asked.

"Have you seen what's happening?" Petunia asked as we approached.

The doctor shook his head, "No one's come to relieve us of our shift, so we've been stuck down here all day"

"Oh" she said.

"Why, what's happening?" He asked.

"Not much," she replied, "Can you take care of these two for me?"

"Certainly." He replied, guiding me to one bed. He called another doctor over to take Pyrrha and lay her down. When he saw the hole in her torso he looked over at Petunia, "Not much?" He asked.

"There's a war going on." She said, "And there's Grimm. So we're in kind of a predicament. Do you have anything to regenerate aura?" She was running low on breath, causing her to take more gasps between words.

"Well," he started.

Something broke through the ceiling suddenly, landing on one of the beds. It was Livie Sasha.

She landed on her feet and stared at Petunia through bloodied vision, a sneer curling her lip. She growled under her breath like a wild animal and pounced forward, knocking her to the ground.

Petunia threw her off, standing with Lacemeiyor drawn, ready to fight. Livie held two curved, sharpened bits of rock in her hands, although it was clear that both of them had taken significant damage and likely wouldn't last much longer.

She charged, and so did Petunia with what little energy she had left. She swung her spiked blade, casting dust of the fire element from its vial at the hilt along the blade. Their weapons collided, but Petunia's spikes stabbed into her hand, causing her to scream and fall to the ground.

The crazy eyed woman stood, spread her arms out, and screamed, getting ready to charge again. She started forward just as another figure fell through the hole in the ceiling. Something long appeared from the figure, followed by the sharp blast of a gun. A crevasse formed in Livie's head as she continued running. Her body ultimately lost its ability to control its movement and she tripped over her own feet, falling into the floor and sliding to Petunia's feet.

The figure stood. He was short, slightly taller than Livie, but shorter than Petunia. He had extremely pale skin and jet black hair that hung sweaty and wet across his forehead. He wore a white undershirt and a grey short-sleeved button-up unbuttoned on his shoulders. He wore skinny black jeans and white sneakers. He had a blood red bandana tied around his neck, which went really well with his equally red eyes.

He held a black and grey pump-action shotgun in one hand, the barrel smoking and a handle sticking out of the pump.

Two large revolvers hung at his hips, and a belt loop of bullets around his neck. To top it off, he had a pair of mirror shades hanging off the neck of his shirt.

We all just stared at him, doctors included. No one had the slightest idea what to do, the doctors especially.

"What the hell's going on?!" One doctor exclaimed.

"War" The man replied. He had a deep voice, like the generic cool guy in films.

"Where?!" The doctor demanded.

The man flicked his head upwards, "Up there" He replied.

The doctor sighed, "Why?" He asked.

The man shrugged, "I dunno" he replied.

Slowly Petunia turned back to the doctors, "Can you guys take care of them?" She asked.

After a brief moment of silence, they set to work.


	103. Azure II Chapter 10

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**I can't think of anything to say, so let's get into it!**

* * *

The amount of Grimm pouring through the hole in the wall gradually shrank in size, then dipped suddenly. I doubted the wall had been repaired, especially considering the creatures were still coming and it would be impossible for someone to fix the wall whilst fighting off Grimm.

"What's going on?" I asked over the rain and growling monsters.

"I don't know," Bole replied, "it slowed when the rain did. Maybe the civilians aren't as scared as they were earlier"

I stabbed a Creeper through the jaw, realizing that this was probably true. The Grimm were attracted to negative emotions, and after the storm let up it must have given them some hope. Of course, there were still those who were afraid, plus the Grimm could simply follow their comrades to the wall. But regardless, things were looking hopeful.

As the Grimm entering slowed to a general halt it became more and more difficult to find an opponent to actually fight. Ultimately we were approached by Elwood, the leader of the AOD, telling us that we could leave if we needed to. We thanked him, he returned the favor, and we were off.

We found several others filing into the military base before and after us. The door was broken down, and I guessed something had gone down here.

Many of the people we passed were bloody and bruised, limping through the open doorway into the elevator.

I entered the elevator next to Yang Xiao-Long, her arm wrapped around Weiss's shoulder for support. The yellow-haired woman's forehead had a long bloody gash raking across it, blood covering her face and still dripping.

Many, too many actually, got off in the infirmary before we continued to our floor. By the end it was me, team VAIN save for Nicole, and Jaune Arc. The rest of his team, I wasn't so sure where they'd gone.

"Where's the rest of your team?" I asked him.

"Nora and Ren are in the infirmary. I told them I'd go looking for Pyrrha in the meantime." He replied, "You haven't seen her, have you?"

I shook my head, "Maybe she's with Gazini"

"That's what I'm thinking" He replied.

We arrived on our floor and stepped out. It was empty except for Thunder. He was dressed in black and yellow striped armor, with a shoulder cape of the same pattern. He looked up from his seat at the table when we arrived. A smile spread across his face.

"We did it." He said, "We won"

I was sure we had, but hearing it from him suddenly filled me with joy. I turned to the others with me, seeing a smile taking over the lower half of their faces too.

"Have you seen Pyrrha?" Jaune asked Thunder, no hint of happiness on his face.

Thunder's face went grim. "She's in the infirmary" He replied.

Jaune's eyes widened with fear, "Is she okay? What happened?"

"She's dead" He replied, almost without hesitation.

For a moment Jaune didn't move. Then he turned around, heading back up the elevator.

I felt my smile fade, "What?" I asked, surprised. I hadn't expected her to go.

Thunder nodded solemnly, "Apparently Rain was tougher than we thought"

"What about Gazini?" Veil asked.

"He's…" Thunder started, trailing off, "I don't know. He's exhausted, I think. I'm not really sure honestly"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

He turned to me, "He's… different. You wouldn't recognize him"

"That bad?" Barnabas asked.

"No, no." Thunder replied, sighing, "It's hard to explain. You probably shouldn't go up now, but I'm sure that later he'll explain it"

I tried to push the thought from my mind, but had some trouble. Regardless, the infirmary would be packed, and there was no point of going right now.

As the hours progressed more and more people appeared from the elevator. As the doctors finished working their magic on the injured, the table filled up as we prepared for one final meeting.

Finally a man in a pale grey hoodie and blonde hair exited the elevator. I'd never seen the man before, yet here he was. He looked around the table, "This everyone?" He asked.

"I was about to ask you" Thunder replied.

He looked up and down the table again, "Well," he said, "I was the last one out, save for JNPR. So I guess that's that." He looked up at Thunder, "Shall we begin?"

Thunder nodded, "Sure," he replied, "you start"

The man cleared his throat, standing at the far head of the table where Gazini usually sat. He clasped his hands around the back of the chair and looked around at all of us. "Hi everyone, I'm Gazini Void." He started, "Or, Gazini Nikos, I guess. I'm assuming you're confused, so I'll just go over it real quick.

"This was how I dressed back in Beacon. I embed dust into my clothing so that it looks like the clothes I wore before, and same with my weapon. This attire allows for increased mobility, but I find it's kind of embarrassing to walk around in, so I changed it. Whenever my aura hits a major peak the dust gets activated and my clothing switches in order to better fight. And the weapon changes to the one I used back in Beacon. I figure I'll switch back pretty quickly, so don't worry about getting used to this" he gestured to himself.

There was a long pause as everyone processed this sudden and frankly weird piece of information. It made sense, but it was still weird. Like a shounen anime where the characters have several forms with higher levels of power for fighting tougher opponents.

"Should I continue, or what?" He asked.

Thunder gestured to him, "Go ahead. Make your report"

He sighed heavily, leaning on the chair and starring down at the seat. He sniffled, then looked up, "When we fought Rain he killed Pyrrha Nikos."

There were a couple surprised faces in the crowd, but most everyone had stopped by the infirmary and seen the body. A moment of silence passed over the crowd, then we put two and two together. Gazini Nikos. Pyrrha Nikos. They were related, and she'd just died.

"If you haven't figured this out yet Pyrrha and I were siblings, sort of." He continued, "I guess here comes some sob story for you guys. I was adopted into the Nikos family, not born into it. We haven't exactly been in contact for quite some time, I don't know why, but that's why I didn't want to contact my parents about coming here.

"Anyways, yeah. Pyrrha didn't make it. And before you ask, yes I saw it coming. I saw everything. But let me say this, of all the possible outcomes I saw at the time that was the only way we'd win. Pyrrha would have had to die to win. And if I warned anyone I knew the future would change greatly. I won't apologize, because I did what I had to." He paused, sniffling again, "Thunder, anything to report?"

He took in a deep breath, "Well, I fought off a couple Roccos, although that was it. I don't know if anyone fought anyone else, but I only saw Rocco"

No one spoke up, so we assumed only Rocco had been cloned.

"Well," he started, "that's reassuring. For now, anyway. Anyone else have anything to report?"

Ruby raised her hand, "Roy defeated Cinder, in case you hadn't guessed"

"Where is Roy?" I asked, scanning the table and not catching sight of him.

"He died protecting me" Ruby replied. I looked over to see her eyes reddening.

"Oh," I said, "I'm so sorry"

I noticed Grizzly sitting next to her, a somber expression across his face, but no tears fell. He didn't make much noise, but the emotion was there.

"Are we missing anyone else?" Thunder asked.

"Nicole." Barnabas replied, "After the helicopter went down we separated. I didn't really see her again"

No one said a word. It was likely that she was lost or dead.

"What about Blake?" Yang asked.

"She went down," Carden replied, "I saw it. Unfortunately"

The three remaining RWBY members shed tears, as were many of us now.

"Has anyone seen Dennis?" Gazini asked.

"I saw him go down too," Carden replied, "I don't know if he died though. I just saw him fall without any arms. I assume he's gone too"

Gazini let out a deep breath. He looked like he was ready to go out and look.

"Gazini," Hail started, "Steam didn't make it either"

The blonde man shook for a moment, then turned around and left out the elevator. Petunia followed after him, and a moment later so did Hail.

Thunder looked around, "Anyone else?' he asked, his lip quivering slightly, "As hard as this is, everyone needs to be accounted for"

No one said anything.

"Is that it, from our team?" He asked, looking around the table one last time, "Alright then. We'll have to organize search parties. If you're willing, please step up"


	104. Crimson II Chapter 20

**Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!**

**I apologize for the late chapter, it kept slipping my mind yesterday until it was too late. **

**But anyways, let's get right into it. **

* * *

I rode the elevator to the top floor alone, making sure no one made it up with me. At the top I walked out through the shattered glass of the door and into the battlefield full of corpses.

"Gazini!" Petunia called from behind me as I scanned the horizon, looking for any sign of Steam.

"Where is he?" I demanded, turning around. Hail was here now too.

Petunia didn't reply.

"Come with me" Hail said, striding ahead. I followed after, jogging lightly. Petunia followed close behind.

Hail stopped at the end of a street leading between two rows of rubble that once were homes. We picked out way through the bodies carefully, making our way down the road. Normally I would have been horrified at how many Heishi there'd been, how many civilian bodies I saw among the dead soldiers, but instead I was blinded by the determination to find my elderly teammate.

I saw it ahead pretty quickly. One body stood out from the rest, slightly different from the Heishi but still very similar.

Dennis.

"That's Dennis." I said pointing, "Was he fighting with you guys?"

Hail squinted, "Yeah he was. I guess that is him. Steam's around there too"

Suddenly I took off running, expending all my energy jumping between each body. I came to the ones I was searching for, seeing Dennis lacking two arms: one forearm and the other a whole one. His back was littered with bloody scars and bullet wounds. I grabbed his shoulder and flipped him over, looking into his face. His eyes were slightly open, but his body was still. Dennis was dead, that much was for sure.

Underneath him however, was Steam.

"Steam," I said, looking down at the man, "Steam! Wake up!"

He coughed hoarsely, his eyes flickering open and closed. He looked up at me, a weak smile bending his hairy lips.

"Gazini," he croaked, "Your back"

"Don't get used to this" I said, smiling.

"You aren't keeping it?" He asked, referring to my attire.

I shook my head, smiling, "No, not again"

He sighed, "Thank goodness" He groaned.

I laughed a little, unsure how to feel. He was in bad shape, but he was breathing. I worried that I was going to watch him die right here.

"What happened?" I asked, "Why was Dennis on top of you?"

"He jumped when the Heishi brought out the big guns." He replied, "For some reason he decided to save me, despite losing both arms prior"

I mentally thanked Dennis for his sacrifice. It seemed like lots of those happened today. First Roy, then Dennis. Who else died for another?

"Let's get back to the base," I said, "we'll stitch you up, just like new"

He nodded slightly, "Okay" he said.

I wrapped my arm around his shoulder and lifted him up off the ground. He was somewhat buried under the rest of the bodies, so I had to push past them.

"Can I get some help?" I asked. Hail came and took up Steam's other side. "Petunia, can you bring Dennis too?"

She nodded; lifting the man's destroyed body over her shoulder. Together we trekked back through the sea of bodies. Just as we returned to the base several more hunters from the taskforce filed out in search of those lost. They watched us as we passed, often looking away when they saw Dennis.

Down in the infirmary we laid both bodies down on beds. They weren't alone amongst all the other dead, most of which already had sheets placed over them as they were prepared to be buried.

"Oh shit," one doctor said upon seeing Dennis. "Is he still alive?"

"I don't think so," I replied, "but if you can do anything, we'd appreciate it"

He nodded, "Of course. We'll get on it"

I turned to Steam, "We'll be back soon"

"Go ahead. I'll be fine" He said, understanding.

With the remaining members of team PHGG, we returned to the surface and joined the search parties.

* * *

As the searching wrapped up all the lost bodies were found, save for Roy's, which had been completely disintegrated. Blake Belladonna was found, already dead with a slit throat and several more bloody cuts in her body. Nicole Rozovyy, however, was found still holding on to life. She was brought to the infirmary and deemed barely alive. She was completely exhausted, having almost killed herself by expending too much energy. Cinder and Rain were found, both very dead. Cinder had a massive hole in her gut, not as big as Pyrrha's, but pretty close. Guenianne Radiance, however, was also not found. Veil Fairfax revealed that she had begun fighting with a woman who was later identified as Livie Sasha, the one who'd been shot down in the infirmary when I'd arrived. Guenianne and Livie had fought in the tournament arena, but when we went looking she was nowhere in sight.

As we gathered in our room once again we decided not to take our seats at the table, but instead huddle together as we shed tears for those we'd lost. Blake, Pyrrha, Roy, likely Dennis, and perhaps others. I couldn't even remember anymore.

The short man who'd killed Livie stood at the head of the table, talking with Thunder. I approached them, determined to find out who this guy was.

"Hey," I said. Both men turned as I reached them. I looked down at the short man, "Thanks for what you did earlier"

"Just doing what I was called to" He replied.

"I'm Gazini, by the way, Gazini Nikos" I said, holding out my hand to shake.

He gripped my hand firmly and gave it a good shake with loose arms. "Norton Timberwolf." He introduced himself, "Call me Timberwolf. Team STEW, I'm sure you've heard of us"

The name rang a bell, but I wasn't entirely sure which bell right away. Then it dawned on me, "Oh," I said, "you're from the team that was in prison"

"That's right" He replied.

"Your leader is Sockeye Odell, right?" I asked, "The wolf lady with the pocket watch?"

"That's her" He replied.

I nodded, "Okay," I said, "Well next time you see her tell her I said hi"

He smiled, "Will do" He replied.

"Nice meeting you" I said after a brief pause, then returned to my own team.

* * *

I awoke to Petunia and Hail, both standing in my room in the base. Hail was shaking me awake, and both stared right at me.

"What is it?" I asked, sitting up and yawning.

"It's Steam," Petunia said, "he's dead"

I froze, "What?" I asked.

"His body was already dying. He couldn't take the exertion of all that energy during the battle" She replied.

I stood, going straight to the infirmary. Hail and Petunia followed closely.

Outside I found an empty room. I was suddenly filled with nostalgia, remembering the days before recruitment had started. Back when it was only Thunder and I and an unreadable folder.

As quickly as the nostalgia had come, it was replaced by closure. The room was empty now, the operation had ended. I almost found it hard to believe. I'd been at this for so long that I simply couldn't accept this sudden ending. What would I do now? What would _we_ do now? Just go back to normal? Taking jobs off the board, hunting Grimm? Doing odd jobs around the city? It was too much to think about.

In the infirmary I found both Steam and Dennis lying dead on their beds. I went to stand by Steam's bed, having expected him to survive. And yet, I was full of peace, of closure, of sudden acceptance. When I started this taskforce and recruited my team I'd accepted this. I knew anyone could die at any time, I just hoped they wouldn't, especially when it was all over.

"I'm so sorry." A doctor said, pulling me from my thoughts, "He couldn't do it. His body was too spent to hold on any longer"

I smiled politely, "Thank you for everything, doctor"

He nodded, "As for the other, he was long dead when you brought him in. There was nothing we could do. However," He paused, making sure we were listening, "we pulled out his brain." he gestured to Steam, "We figure that, if you're okay with it, we could perform a brain transplant into Dennis's head. He'd have to have his arms replaced synthetically, but he'd be both alive and younger"

I looked down at Steam's face again, trying to decide whether or not this was a good idea.

"Let's do it" Petunia said.

I turned, "Hold on a second, let's talk this over" I said.

"What's there to talk about?" She asked.

"Look at his face," I said, turning back to my teammate, "See how peaceful he is? He was ready for this. I get the feeling he accepted it too, maybe even wanted it"

Petunia shook her head, "No, I think he would want this. He'd want to stay with us" Her voice started to shake.

"Petunia's right, Gazini. I think we should do this" Hail said.

I sighed, "Okay," I replied, "yeah, I guess so"

We turned back to the doctor, who still stood motionless. "Go for it" Petunia said.

He nodded, turning away and walking in another direction.

We, too, walked in another direction. We rode the elevator to the ground floor. As we left the building we saw several groups of people had started piling up the dead bodies and burning them.

Thunder jogged towards us from a pile nearby. "Gazini!" He called. When he reached us he stopped, looking right at me, "We're piling up the dead and burning them. Hopefully building repairs can start tomorrow"

"Good," I said, "getting right in to it"

"Well," he started, "I think most people want to forget about what happened." He hesitated, "Not everyone can, though." Again he fell silent. "So, anyways, if you guys could help out with the bodies that'd be great. Also, Gazini, I have something to ask you"

Petunia and Hail started towards one of the unlit piles while I waited with Thunder.

"What is it?" I asked.

"You remember the hunters who disappeared, right?" he asked.

"Like Octavia and them?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Yeah, why?"

"I'm thinking we should assemble a taskforce to find them. Who knows, maybe Gale's still alive too. How would you feel about leading that force?"

I felt a slight smile curve my lips, and realized that he was having trouble letting the taskforce go too. "I'd love to, so long as I can choose the members."

* * *

**So there you have it. It's finally over. After nearly 2 years of writing, HellFall has drawn to a close. I'm quite happy with how it's turned out, and I hope all of you have enjoyed it as well. It's been a great couple years, and I'm so happy that the 20 or so of you who actually consistently read this amateur fanfiction have done so. Thank you again so much, I can't wait to share more stories with you. I'm not entirely sure if I'll continue fanfiction specifically, but who knows? Maybe I'll actually write a few of the things listed in my profile for a change. (I stopped watching anime a long time ago, which is what most of my ideas were based around, so we'll see). **

**Anyways, as usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all...in the next chapter...**

* * *

The wind whipped and pulled at my hair and torn clothes. It was strong, threatening to throw me off my own feet. My brown jacket swayed back and forth with frantic movements. My orange hair obstructed much of my vision.

My whole upper body ached as I dragged Octavia across the rocky terrain of the mountains. Dust flew into my eyes and mouth. I struggled to blink the bits out, but as for the dirt on my tongue, there wasn't much I could do without my hands.

Through my flickering vision caused by my hair I saw the maddened, torn face of Gale Sheng pulling her destroyed body across the dirt towards us.

* * *

Jaune knelt by the grave of Pyrrha Nikos, staring into the stone of her gravestone. He didn't say a word, though his thoughts were filled with anger. Anger and sadness. Hatred for Gazini Nikos, the brother who'd foreseen her death and let her go anyway.

He punched the ground with a gloved fist, watching his tears soak the rain-drenched grass. Drops of water poured heavy on Jaune's neck, not as hard as the night she'd gone, but the drops were round and large, and each one had a distinct feel on his skin. He was soaked to the bone, but he felt nothing. Nothing physical, anyway.

"Careful, you may catch cold" A man said from behind. The voice was unfamiliar to him.

"Please leave me alone" Jaune said, trying to be polite but frustrated regardless. Couldn't this man tell that he was mourning?

"I don't think she'd appreciate you catching cold on her behalf. Especially after she's dead" Another voice, also unfamiliar.

Jaune spun around, "I said piss off!" He screamed, looking up at two men he'd never met, or even seen before. One was dressed in neon purple, the other in neon orange. Who wore such bright clothes to a cemetery? Have these people no respect?

"We're so sorry, Jaune Arc." The purple clad man said, "But we just need to talk to you"

"About what?" Jaune asked, ignoring the fact that they'd known his name.

"You worked with Gazini Void, correct?" He asked.

"Nikos," Jaune replied, "Gazini Nikos. Yes, I did"

"So, you wouldn't happen to know a certain woman he worked with, do you?"

Jaune hesitated, "Depends on who"

"Azure Blaze."


End file.
